The Dead Don't Knock
by trabeck
Summary: When Hojo's experiments goes wrong, he turns the world upside down by making the dead come back to life! Cloud and his gang must learn how to live in this new world and let old enemies become allies. This is Yaoi! If you don't like, don't read!
1. Chapter 1

Softly, groans of pain build from the dark, dirty bathroom of the 7th Heaven bar. Light filters in from the door creaking ajar. Reno, disheveled, and bloody, retracts his body away from the light. Even the light seems to hurt his body. Reno hisses as his injured foot collides with the edge of the bath tub.

"Fuck yo! Watch what the hell ya doin'! Shit..." Reno yells out at the person who enters, not even moving to look and see who it is, and his body stays in its pained ball.

A voice calls out from the direction of the door. "I'll be careful." The shadow of a person sits on the floor in front of Reno. Reno finally looks down to see a nest of long, black hair. "Your ankle is sprained, and there's also a stress fracture in your metatarsal."

'Is it...No, it can't be..' Reno thought to himself as he watches that stranger, wondering why he is doing all of this. "You're...with Cloudy and his gang yo. Why do you care 'bout my metata-whatwhoits."

"You're living, right?" A pair of red eyes look up at Reno, surprising him. Reno recognizes the man as Vincent, however he doesn't remember anything else. "The fracture is right here..." Vincent gently presses the middle of Reno's right foot.

"You motherfucker! I know where the fuck it is yo, I ran with it didn't I? I'd rather be dead then keep bein' tortured by you!" Reno pulls his foot back, protecting it with his hands. Sweat runs down his face from the pain.

"Yes, you did run. I saw everything...How did you outrun all of them? And with a broken foot?" Vincent begins to clean off Reno's foot with rubbing alcohol, and he unrolls a wide piece of gauze.

Reno stares at Vincent for a few minutes before he starts to talk, hissing every now and then when his foot is moved. "I've ran all my life, these are just different enemies yo. Plus I didn't want to die, that always makes it so you can't feel pain, for awhile at least."

Vincent carefully wraps Reno's foot to give support to the broken bone. Vincent sighs. "I know the feeling." While Vincent finishes wrapping Reno's foot, the door opens again. Tifa peers inside the bathroom. She talks in almost a whisper. "You'll need these, Vincent." Tifa sets a bottle of prescription pain killers on the bathroom sink. "It's Dilaudid, raided from the pharmacy across the street."

"Thank you, Tifa." Vincent takes the medication, and he takes the bottle to Reno. "We're low on water. You'll have to swallow these dry, unfortunately."

"Ohhh, aren't I lucky? I get yummy candy, I don't care yo, just give me some!" Reno reaches out his hand, waiting for the pills he knows that will help him with the pain and hopefully put him to sleep.

Vincent allows Reno to take the bottle. "I agree. You'll need to keep off of your foot for at least 4 weeks. At least this will help you be more tolerable."

"If you're hopin' it'll make me cusses less, you're sorry yo! But I will be less angry." Reno takes out two and quickly swallows them; he puts the bottle of pills in his pocket. "Is this my room?"

"No, you're not sleeping in the bathroom. Up with you." Vincent helps Reno up from the edge of the bath. "We have room upstairs and in the basement. Pick where you want to go."

"Ugg, well...Both have stairs so whichever room has less people yo." Reno holds onto Vincent arm as he hops towards the door.

Vincent shakes his head. "I forgot to mention, the basement is our headquarters. We use an elevator. That's why it's safer."

"The basement it is then! Lead the way yo, I'll hop behind you!" Reno grins slightly, wondering if they will really let him in their headquarters.

Vincent leaves the door open for Reno to hobble through. He leads Reno to the bar's seemingly broken down jukebox. "The elevator is here. I have to show you the code."

'He's really showin' me this? Well, it is the end of the world I guess yo.' Reno thought to himself as he hobbles after him, he leans against the jukebox as he waits for the code. "I've always wondered where your base was, I knew it was here but not where here yo."

"It doesn't matter anymore, does it?" Vincent types in the code slowly so Reno can follow along. "A3, B2, G8, E10, D7." Vincent says just loud enough for Reno to hear. A gate rises around the men, and the floor descends to the basement. The basement is lit with dim lights and candles. Dive bar seats and worn out mattresses make up the furniture of the basement. There's also a small refrigerator and a couple of table tops, without the metal legs attached.

"I guess not...But how the hells do you guys have electricity yo?" Reno hobbles over to one of the mattresses, wanting to get off his tired foot.

"A couple of weeks ago, we went to sector 5 and looted a hardware store. We took home a small gas generator. Some lights are also battery powered." Vincent takes a light fixture off of the wall and shows Reno the battery compartment. Vincent sits next to Reno on the dive bar benches. "We run the generator only when it's necessary."

Reno nods and collapses onto a mattress, sighing in comfort as he nuzzles into it. "Ahh, this is just what I needed yo." He grins sloppily up at Vincent, the pills starting to kick in.

"How long have you been running?" Vincent tacks the light fixture just above his head. "You look like you've been running for days."

"A week, I was living in a car that ran out of gas but those fuckin' bastard broke the windows yo. That was ohh...three days away I think. I drank water wherever I found yo, who know what I'm gonna get from some of those puddles." Reno says with a chuckle. "That'd be my luck, I die from muddy water."

"You survived all by yourself out there..." Vincent bows his head slightly. 'If he did that on his own, he'll be an asset.' Vincent becomes lost in thought. "How did you escape?" Vincent asks in a quiet voice.

"I had a gun at first, but the sound just attracts more of them so I kind of fucked myself over then yo. Then I just used whatever I could find, you know?" Reno wiggles on the mattress a bit to itch his back.

"Can you tell me more about what happened?" Vincent lights a cigarette, and he offers Reno a cigarette as well.

Reno takes the cigarette with a smile, he takes a long draw on it before letting out a cloud of smoke. "Sure, I got nuttin' else ta do but lay here and talk." Reno chuckles as he thinks back to a week ago, when his life went to hell.

Reno winces in anguish as he remembers everything that happened to him, and all of the Shinra employees. In a flash, Reno remembers his hand being yanked by Tseng down a long hallway, full of the dead. Rude follows his fellow Turks from behind.

"Boss-man, where are we goin' yo?" Reno can't help but tighten his grip onto Tseng's hand, his thumb caresses it. He carefully jumps over the dead bodies, looking back to make sure that Rude is following behind him. "I'm fine, Reno. You just take care if yourself." Rude calls out to him.

Tseng holds tightly to Reno's hand. "We have to leave this place, right now!" Tseng draws his gun and as the men come to a split in the hallway, Tseng carefully looks around the corner. He retreats to the safety of the cleared hall. "We have company." Tseng whispers sternly.

Reno grabs his EMR, fully extending it. "I'm guessin' they don't want some of your famous tea yo?" Reno whispered with a smirk, he takes a deep breath to get his mind ready for the fight. Rude behind them pulls out his gun and cocks it.

"No, they don't want tea, that's for sure." Tseng presses his body against the wall in a defensive position. "If they come this way, be ready." Tseng aims his P232, and shoots one of the monsters in the head. The noise alerts the rest of the horrid pack, and turn slowly towards the sound of Tseng's gun. "Here they come..." Tseng says once he retreats to the hallway.

Reno grips tighter onto his EMR, moving into attack position next to Tseng. "That is one reason why I hate guns, it makes them horny!" Rude shakes his head at his partner's explanation. "Just be ready, Reno."

Rude moves next to Tseng and the two fire at the horde in rapid succession, both men carrying a P232. It's the perfect gun for target practice. The dead approach the hall where the Turks are taking refuge in. Reno runs out into the open hallway and begins bashing the corpses about the head.

"I...hate...you...mother...fuckers!" Reno grunts out with each bash, rotten blood slash his suit. He quickly turns to attack the zombie behind, unknowingly leaving his back open for attack.

Tseng, who has moved further into the horde, sees that Reno is about to be attacked. Tseng tries to shoot the zombie before it reaches Reno, but his gun is empty, and there's no time to reload. "Reno!" Tseng runs towards Reno, and he uses his martial arts skills to knock the zombie to the ground. Rude still has several rounds left in his gun. Rude keeps himself between the zombies and his two partners. "You guys get out of here."

"You can't take all these on your own, partner!" Reno reaches into his hostel and throws Tseng his spare gun as he bashes zombie's heads left and right.

"I have something in store for these mother fuckers..." Rude says calmly. "I'll catch up with you two later." Rude insists on staying behind so Reno and Tseng can make their escape.

Reno stares at his partner than at Tseng, knowing they don't have much time left. "You better meet us outside yo, or I'm gonna kill ya myself! Come on, boss-man!" Reno grabs Tseng by the shoulder and runs down the hall, giving one last look at the man who's been his partner since he first became a Turk.

Tseng runs alongside Reno. He gives Reno a loving glance, as the two run together. "We're going to the company garage."

Reno gives Tseng a small smile as they run, grabbing Tseng's free hand and squeezing it tightly. "Alright, that sounds good. Once we get wheels, we can get out of here yo!"

"Yeah, far away. Who knows, we may never see this place again." Tseng regrets not being able to protect everything he has worked for as a Turk. Tseng slows his running when he sees a cloaked figure running the same direction as he and Reno are, except coming from a pedestrian bridge. Tseng notices that Reno sees the figure as well.

"You never know, Tseng. We may come back here sometime yo." Reno comfort squeezes Tseng's hand as they run; he slows down as well at the sight of the cloaked figure. "Well, that can't be go.. Let's hurry and get to the cars!"

"We don't have time for whoever that is. Come on." Tseng takes Reno to the garage. Tseng has the company keys, so he tries each car until one opens. It's an older Ford Crown Victoria. "This will have to do."

Reno chuckles softly. "You always have to go in style, boss-man!" Reno takes the keys from Tseng and climbs into the driver's seat, quickly starting up the car as Tseng climbs in. "You better buckle up, I'm gonna make this car my bitch yo."

Tseng fastens his seatbelt. He also holds onto the edge of the seat. "I always buckle up when you drive."

"I feel the love yo." Reno sticks his tongue out at Tseng before gunning it out of the garage, he smirks as he sees some zombies slowly walking across the street and mows them down, turning on the wiper blades to clean the windshield.

"That's another way to kill one." Tseng looks back at the Shinra headquarters. Suddenly, the ground shakes violently. An explosion rocks the Shinra building, and a fire breaks out on the floor where Rude was. "He blew up the floor..." Tseng remarks in shock.

"Damn it, Rude.. You better of gotten out before it went off yo.." Reno looks in the rear-view mirror in shock as well as sadness, hoping the man he sees as a brother is still alive. "Maybe the buildin' won't be there..

"I'm sure Rude got out. He knows what he's doing." Tseng lays his head back against the seat. He has become tired from running. Tseng begins to feel that something isn't right. "Take the upper highway."

"Anything you want, babe." Reno rests a hand on Tseng's lap, rubbing his thigh lovingly. He sighs as he leans back in the seat, finally letting his body relax.

Tseng calm down as well. He places his hand on top of Reno's hand. Tseng begins to feel a sharp pain in his shoulder, and with his free hand, Tseng touches his left shoulder, only to find that it's bleeding. 'Once we get on the highway, I'll have Reno pull over...' Tseng breathes in frustration.

Reno feels warmth fills his body at the touch of Tseng's hand on his, he speeds up to get them to the highway, wanting to leave Shinra behind them.

Tseng has a feeling of dread, and he wonders if Reno can feel it as well. The blood from Tseng's wound soaks through his pristine suit. 'Damn...I don't have much time.' Tseng presses his forehead against the cold passenger window. "Pull over, when you can."

Reno looks over worried at Tseng. "Okay, babe.. I think we're far enough now yo." On habit, Reno puts his turning signal on as he pulls off the road and turns off the car. "You alright, Tseng?"

Tseng reloads his empty gun and he turns his body towards Reno. "I need you to do something for me, and promise me that you'll do everything I ask."

Reno watches Tseng with edging fear in his eye. "Um...Babe, you're startin' to scare me now yo.. Y-you know I always keep my promises to you, your my Tsengy.."

Tseng smiles weakly at Reno and moves his hand away from his shoulder to expose the festering wound. "I don't have much time left, my love." Tseng hands Reno the gun he loaded. "You need to kill me, before I become one of...those things."

"No, no, no, no.." Reno shakes his head as his eyes fill up with tears, he reaches over to grab Tseng's hand tightly. "No, y-you're gonna be alr-right yo! We'll just clean it out a-and you'll b-be just fine, b-better than ever.."

"I wish that were true, Reno. I can feel it eating away inside of me." Tseng stays oddly calm, he knows what must be done. "I want to die as Tseng."

"B-but...I love you! I..I can't live without you yo.. W-what am...How can I get though this without you by my side?" Reno looks down at the gun, wishing it would disappear.

Tears fall from Tseng's eyes, and he only lets a couple of tears roll down his cheeks. "Reno, I don't want to die without an ounce of humanity left in me. I want to die with dignity."

Reno feels his heart breaking at the sight of his lover's tears, knowing this may be that last time he gets to see his face alive. He pulls Tseng into a deeply loving kiss, their tears mixing together. " I-I...will always love you, you c-could never lose your dignity, boss-m-man."

Tseng melts into Reno's affection. He feels comforted from Reno's warm kiss. "That's why I want you to kill me. Once I become one of them, I will never be able to have these feelings again. At least, I'll return to the Earth with my soul intact."

Reno takes the gun shakily into his hand, not wanting his lover to turn into one of those things either. He slowly lifts up his hand, his lips still pressed against Tseng. "You were my first and only love yo... The day you saved me from the Don was the h-happiest of my life, I fell f-for you that day." Reno kisses his lover again, wanting to feel his lips one last time

"Thank you, Reno, for loving me." Tseng closes his eyes as more tears roll down his cheeks. "I'm ready..."

"How could I not love you yo? N-now think of our first time together, babe.." Reno mind tells him he's not ready to let his lover go, but he wants to honor Tseng's last wish. He leans up and kisses Tseng's fevered forehead before pulling the trigger. Reno drops the gun with a sob and pulls Tseng into his arms as he cries into Tseng's suit.

Tseng's lifeless body slumps over Reno. Tseng's body is still warm, and Tseng's expression is that of a peaceful passing. In a way, Tseng only appears to be sleeping in Reno's arms.

"O-only you w-would look perfect, even in d-death yo.. Oh god, Tseng why did you have to leave me, I can't do this all alone! Y-you're safe now b-but I'm still in hell a-and without you." Reno's body shakes with each sob.

Reno finds himself back at the 7th Heaven bar, on a mattress with a cigarette. Tears stream down Reno's eyes as he tells Vincent how he got to where he is now. Vincent feels empathy towards Reno. "Would you like another cigarette?" Vincent offers the whole pack to Reno, knowing it may help him feel better.

Reno nods, not able to speak at the moment. He takes the pack and pulls out a cigarette, lighting it and taking a couple quick puffs. "I..put h-him in the trunk, so he'd be safe for bein' looted o-or touched by those t-things yo!"

Vincent nods his head in understanding. "You didn't want your loved one to be violated. It's...a perfectly normal reaction."

"A-and for all I know, Rude is dead as well. I tried to find him after but..." Reno takes another drag, a few tears still falling down his face. "Is..is it alright if I sleep for a bit yo?"

"You can sleep. I need to return to my post as well. I'll be back in a couple of hours to call you for dinner."

"Alright, I'll hobble on up then. This should be fun, all my old enemies at one table yo." Reno chuckles lazily, he turns over and grabs one of the pillows, holding on tightly to it.

Vincent returns to his nightly duty of guarding the bar from the roof. His assignment is to make sure the rest of the group returns safely and to take out any zombies that move towards the locked down bar. Cloud, Cid, Red XIII and Barret return after Vincent stands guard for several hours. Vincent jumps down from the roof to meet the team at the gate. "You know the routine. Bite check." The men all groan as they strip naked in the street. Red just shakes his head and flicks his tail with a chuckle.

"Ya' jus' wanna see us naked, eh Vince?" Cid said with a laugh, his cigar bouncing out if the side of his mouth. "He don' want look at ya naked white ass, Cid!" Barret counters Cid, a big grin on his face as he turns around. "I do not believe he wants to see either of you." Red barked out.

Cloud takes his clothing off as well. He doesn't make a big deal about the bite checks, because he knows they must be done. It was his idea after all. "Hurry up. It's freezing out here." Cloud says with his clothing off already. Vincent uses his flashlight to check his friends for bites. "Get your clothes back on. Everyone is clear."

"Wha's wrong, Cloud? Your bits don't like the cold?" Cid grins at Cloud as he starts to get dressed. "Ahh, leave him 'alone Cid! Yours goes inside ya out here!" Barret pulls up his pants, quickly getting dressed. "They are like children, are they not, Vincent?" Red XII asks Vincent. "Let's just get the loot inside, all of you act like adults!" Cloud grabs his bag of loot and heads inside the bar.

"They all act childish, but I prefer it that way. It shows me that their spirits are still high." Vincent scratches Red behind the ears as they walk inside the bar.

Red can't help but wag his tail at the rubs, Vincent always knowing the right stops on his body. "So Vincent, what all happened while we were gone?" Cloud asks as he begins to unload his bag.

"There was a horde that headed west, towards the bar. They were chasing a survivor, and the survivor is now in the basement with a broken foot." Vincent helps Cloud unload the looted food and drinks. "The survivor will have to stay here for at least four weeks.

Cloud sighs, never wanting to turn away but knowing it's another mouth to feed. "Alright, I think we can do that." "Is it a woman?" Barret asks with a smile, crossing his fingers.

"No, it's a male. I'll tell him everyone is here since we're going to eat soon." Barret instantly becomes depressed because he was hoping to meet a nice woman. Vincent sighs as the elevator takes him down to the basement. He wonders how he will tell the group that the survivor is Reno, of the Turks. Vincent sees Reno sleeping on a mattress in the middle of the room. He feels bad for waking Reno up, but Vincent thinks that it's more important that Reno gets a meal.

"Mmngg, no wakey Tseng... Sleep more." Reno hides his face in the mattress, holding on tighter to the pillow between his arms as he fights waking up.

"You can go back to sleep, but have something to eat and drink first." Vincent gently shakes Reno's shoulders. "Everyone is back now, so it's time for dinner."

"Hmm? Ohh..Alright yo.." Reno wipe away a tear, his mind thinking it was his lover only to find out it wasn't. "Did ya tell them 'bout me? Or am I walkin' into a slaughter?"

"I told them I found a survivor. I didn't mention who you are." Vincent helps Reno get up from the mattress. "I won't leave you to the wolves."

"Oh, my knight in shinin' leather yo!" Reno chuckles softly as he leans against Vincent and begins to hobble toward the elevator. "Well, I'm ready to have my ears yelled off."

"Try not to worry too much about it." Vincent activates the elevator, taking Reno up with him. Vincent waits to hear the rest of the group's reaction. Red spots Reno first, Barret and Cid are too busy celebrating from drinking their looted beer.

"Easy for you to say, these are your friends, they're my enemies or ex-enemies yo." Reno takes a deep breath as they rid up, he looks around at everyone, waiting for someone to say something to him but the only one who sees him is the dog thing. Reno waves shyly to it.

"Oh hell naw! This better be a fuckin' joke, Vincent." Barret nearly drops his beer, and at the same time, Cloud and Cid turn around to greet the new survivor. Cloud scowls, and Cid begins a tirade of swearing. "Not that skinny ass Shinra mother fucker!"

"Yep, this is 'bout how I thought this would go yo..." Reno sigh, rubbing his arm as he listens to them. "Vincent, you can't be serious? He's a part of the people that started this whole thing!" Cloud says, balling his fists.

Tifa storms out of the kitchen to see everyone protesting Reno staying at the bar. With intent, Tifa rests her hands on her hips. She helped Reno as well, knowing Reno needed help. "I helped him too, Cloud. Look at him! He's not going to harm us, Shinra doesn't have the power here anymore..." Tifa crosses her arms and leans against the bar. "If he pisses us off, he won't be able to run if we want to kick his ass."

"Thanks Tifa, I always knew you were more than just a great set of tits yo! And I don't plan on hurtin' anyone; I can barely piss by myself much less kill someone." Reno said with a small smile, trying to gain their trust. "And she's right, Shinra is no more, hell my partner blew up part of the buildin' yo!"

Cloud looks over at Reno with an expression of shock in his eyes. He heard that the Shinra building was damaged, but it was too dangerous to investigate. "So, the rumors are true about Shinra." Cloud is still suspicious of Reno's intentions, but he can't do much to go against Tifa's wishes. She owns the bar, after all. Tifa rounds up the men for dinner. "I don't want to hear any complaining during dinner. Marlene is in bed, and I already fed her. I don't want her waking up to hear us arguing."

"Yeah, that sick fuck Hojo really fucked us over yo." Reno grounds out, his hate for Hojo coming though. "Don't worry, Tif, I'll be as quiet as a mouse yo."

"He's behind every-fucking-thing." Barret says as he sits down at one of the few tables left in the bar. Cid grumbles and heavily smokes his cigar, and sits across from Barret. Cloud sits next to Cid, and Red lays on the floor next to the table. Vincent sits next to Barret, and across from Cloud, and Vincent waits at Reno to sit down. Everyone stares at Reno.

Reno feels like the first day of Turk training with everyone staring at him, he looks down as he moves to sit down across from Vincent; he crosses his arms in his lap as he waits for dinner to start.

Tifa opens the microwave to bring a glass dish of warmed instant mashed potatoes and canned sausages warmed in the coffee pot. Tifa gives each man a plate, spoon and fork so they can serve themselves. However, Tifa makes Red XIII's plate and she lets Red eat from the floor.

Reno can't help but lick his lips, his stomach growls loudly at the smell of the food, he blushes when everyone turns to look at him. "S-sorry, I..haven't eaten in awhile yo.. This looks great, Tifa."

"I'm glad you like it." Tifa gives all of the men drinks. "How does beer sound, everyone?" Tifa takes a six pack of beer and slams it down on the table. Tifa pulls up a bar stool to sit at the end of the table, with Red under her. All of the men take a beer, except for Reno. He's unsure how the group will react if he just takes a drink. Tifa encourages Reno to drink. "What are you waiting for? I brought over a six-pack, that's one beer each."

"W-well, I..I didn't wanna take it in case someone else wanted it yo.." Reno shyly reaches out for the beer and opens it, he takes a large drink. "Mmm, much better than muddy water yo." Reno smiles as he takes a few bites of mashed potatoes.

'I don't think I'll mention how Reno survived yet.' Vincent thinks to himself. 'It may rile up the others. They may think Reno's trying to brag.' Vincent tries to eat quickly. He must get back to the outdoor post. It's an important job to him. Cloud looks up from his dish to compliment Tifa's cooking. "Not bad for cooking in the microwave...and the coffee maker."

Reno silently eats, taking small bites to get his stomach used to food again. He looks up at Vincent to make sure he's still there, not wanting to be alone yet with everyone. Cid and Barret keep their eyes on Reno the whole time eating, not trusting him.

"Vincent." Cloud breaks the awkward silence. "Can you turn off the generator when you go back to the roof?" Vincent nods his head. "I'll take care of it."

'Why does Vinny have ta do it, there's other people here that can do it yo..' Reno thinks to himself as he eats, his stomach becomes full quickly, so he spends the rest of the time looking around the table and sipping on his beer.

Red crawls under the table to lay beside Vincent. "I'll go outside with you." Red offers. He paws Vincent, willing to help him. Vincent scratches under Red's chin and snout.

'They seem to be close, at least he has someone who has a brain.' Reno thinks to himself as he finishes his beer, his eyes start to feel heavy again. He slumps against the table a bit.

"Thank you for your offer, Red." Vincent smiles softly at his animal friend. Vincent sees Reno slumping over the table. "Reno? Are you alright?" Tifa sees Reno sliding down the table as well, and she holds Reno up by the shoulders. "Why don't you sleep up here tonight? I'll bring over some pillows and blankets."

"H-huh? Oh sorry, I just feel..very tired yo.. I think I can make it downstairs, I don't wanna make you do more work." Reno shakes his head as he holds onto the table to steady himself on his good foot.

"I'll help you get situated din the basement, then." Tifa helps Reno up from the table, while Barret and Cid curse Reno under their breath. Vincent and Red XIII leave the table to perform the typical nightly duties of guarding the fort and turning off the generator. Vincent turns to Reno before he heads out the door. "Sleep well, and if you need anything, just ask."

"I'll be fine yo, you just take care of yourself." Reno leans against Tifa, doing his best to ignore Cid and Barret's curses at him. 'I knew I wasn't gonna be liked, at least I have Tifa on my side.' Reno rides the elevator down and moves to the bed, he thanks Tifa before turning over and grabbing the pillow again. 'I wish Vinny was down here, I'd worry less 'bout being attacked in the night yo..' Reno thinks to himself as he closes his eyes.

~We hope you loved the first chapter!~


	2. Chapter 2

Dawn breaks over the Sector 7 slums, signaling the end of Vincent and Red's shift guarding the roof. The pair returns to the basement to sleep. Vincent sleeps on the bar benches, across the room from Reno, and Red decide to sleep close to Reno for warmth.

Reno wakes up when he feels something warm lay next to him, his body turns towards it and moves closer to the warmth. He cracks an eye open and sees it's the dog know as Red XIII, he look around to find Vincent, wanting to make sure he is alright. 'I wish he would lay down here as well yo...'

Red XIII stretches his paws out and yawns. Red rolls and scoots his body against Reno. Almost as soon as Vincent falls asleep, Marlene comes down to the basement using the elevator. Marlene whispers and sits next to Vincent. "Mr. Vincent...Mr. Vincent?" Marlene clutches several books against her chest. "Can you play with me?" Vincent groans as he hears a tiny voice next to his ear. He sees Marlene's sweet face next to his. "Mm hm." Vincent agrees while still half asleep. Vincent rubs his eyes and sits upright. "What are you doing up, Marlene?"

"I couldn't sleep anymore! But Denzel is still sleeping, so I have no one to play with!" Marlene says as he climbs up on one of the barstools and begins to spin on it. Reno watches and feels bad for Vincent, knowing he must be tired. 'Why doesn't Cloud or Tifa play with her?'

"Do you want me to read the book you have there?" Vincent invites Marlene to sit down next to him. Once Marlene sits down, Vincent speaks softly to Marlene. "Where's everyone else?" Vincent asks Marlene.

"Tifa said they were going out to search the area!" Marlene leans against Vincent so she can see the book as well.

Vincent nods, satisfied with Marlene's answer. He flips through the book Marlene brought to him, and he smiles slightly. 'Ah, a book of poems...' Vincent finds a poem to read to Marlene, and he sees a poem he remembers from his childhood. "Would you like me to read 'The Bogus Boo'?" Vincent asks Marlene.

"Yes! Read it, please!" Marlene smiles as he leans her head against Vincent's shoulder, her hand playing with the end of his cape. Reno turns a ear toward Vincent's voice, wanting to hear the what Vinny's reading as well, he starts to pet Red's fur as he listens.

Vincent begins to recite the children's poem. He uses his voice's inflection to inspire Marlene's imagination.

"The bogus boo is a creature who

comes out at night, and why?

He likes the air, he likes to scare

the nervous passer-by!

He has two wings - pathetic things -

with which he cannot fly.

His tusks are fierce, yet could not pierce

the softest butterfly.

He has two ears , but what he hears

is very faint and small.

And with his claws on his four paws

he cannot scratch at all.

He looks too wise with his owl eyes,

his aspects grim and ghoulish.

But truth to tell, he sees not well

and is distinctly foolish.

The bogus boo - what can he do,

but huffle in the dark?

So don't take fright: he has no bite,

and very little bark!"

Marlene giggles at Vincent's voice. "I liked it! I love when you read to me, Mr. Vincent! You're the best!" She turns to hug Vincent tightly, looking up at him. "You look sleepy, Mr. Vincent." 'Of course he's tired, he hasn't slept! They put too much on him, not that you can blame her, she doesn't know but Cloud and them should do some more work so he can rest too yo!' Reno thinks to himself.

"Yes, I'm a little tired." Vincent leaves his explanation short, not wanting Marlene to worry about him. "Have you had breakfast yet? Are you hungry, Marlene?"

"I ate an apple and made me some toast! All by myself, Mr. Vincent!" Marlene puts her hands on her hips proudly. Reno smiles into his pillow, not able to deny the little girl's cuteness.

'Apples, I wonder how long we'll have that luxury...' Vincent's mind wanders. He knows the food supplies are running low. The apples were just a lucky find. "It sounds like you did a great job." Vincent sighs. "I do need to sleep, Marlene. You can play down here, as long as you play quietly." Vincent pats Marlene on the shoulders.

"Okay Mr. Vincent, I'll play in the corner! I promise I won't make too much noise!' Marlene gives Vincent a kiss on the cheek before climbing down and talking the small bag of toys she brought down with her to the far corner, away from everyone. Reno chuckles softly at Vincent's face when Marlene kisses him. "There's room down here yo.. It's more comfortable than up there.." Reno pats on the spot on the other side of him.

Vincent looks down at the mattress Reno and Red are sleeping on. He doesn't see much room left for even a small person. However, the prospect of sleeping on something soft gets the best of Vincent. He pulls a spare mattress next to the free space on Reno's sleeping area. Vincent lays down on the now larger mattress he made by putting both beds together.

Reno turns to face Vincent with a small smile, he hands Vincent the pillow he's been hugging all night. "Here ya go... You know, you were cute with her yo."

"She's like a daughter to me." Vincent turns on his side so he may face Reno while talking. "She's always had a fondness for me."

"I can tell yo, you're really great with her. And you tend to attract people to you, even if you don't want to yo." Reno lets out a yawn and rubs his eyes. "I don't know why I'm still sleepy."

"Sleep longer, if you want. You're not yet fit to be made to do anything." Vincent yawns. "I try to sleep all day, since I'm usually awake all night." Vincent fluffs the pillow given to him by Reno. His eyelids soon become so heavy that he cannot keep his eyes open any longer.

Reno nuzzles his face into the pillow, wrapping his arms around himself. "Have good dreams yo.. I..um..I guess I'll see you tonight."

Vincent sleeps for several hours without anyone bothering him. However, around noon, Vincent is awoken by the feeling of not being able to move. Red XIII had moved to sleeping in between Vincent's legs. Vincent tries to move back, but he's stopped by Reno, whom has moved too close to Vincent while sleeping. Vincent soon realizes that Reno is embracing him from behind, where he feels that Reno is attempting to neck with him. Vincent feels highly uncomfortable, more so because of Reno's unintentional affection.

Reno nuzzles his face into the soft hair, his lips pressing against the tender flesh underneath it; he smiles in his light sleep.

"Ahem..." Vincent clears his throat gruffly to wake Reno. 'What the hell is he trying to do? I know he's asleep, but...'

"Mmmm, Tseng." Reno moans softly, he holds on tighter to Vincent, his free hand petting Vincent's hair.

Vincent huffs sharply. He attempts to move away from Reno, but he's stopped by Red sleeping on him as well. Vincent moves his hair away from Reno's affections. Soon, however, Vincent feels something warm and hard against his bottom, an unmistakable erection coming from Reno's body. "Reno! Wake up." Vincent tries to wake Reno up again.

Reno moans as he's suddenly woken up, at first he thinks it's his lover till he remembers everything, making more tears fall as he moves away from Vincent. "I-I..I'm sorry y-yo.. I d-don't know what..I'm s-sorry." Reno curls his legs up as much as he can without pain to hide his arousal, waiting for it to leave.

"I know you miss him. I can even say that Tseng was a good man, but I'm not him." Vincent is finally free to move somewhat. He tries to turn on his back without waking Red XIII up. Red, however, has been awake the moment Vincent realized Reno was trying to caress him.

"I-I know you're not him.. I..was just dreamin' of him yo. I didn't m-mean to do that to you." Reno blushes from embarrassment, he plays with the pillow.

Vincent rubs his eyes and his stomach growls with hunger. He still hasn't had breakfast yet. "I know you didn't mean it. I...should make some lunch for us. I haven't ate since last night." Vincent stretches and rises from the mattress. Once Vincent is on the upper level, Red sits next to Reno. "I can tell you like him." Red says to Reno.

Reno wipes his eyes of tears and sniffs. "I-I like he as a friend, he's one of the only people here who doesn't hate m-me yo.. But I'm s-still in mournin'. I..can't take anyone n-now."

"So I heard...But, I saw the whole thing." Red scratches his ear and bites his toe nails. "Cloud acts the same way around Vincent." Red adds while shaking his fur vigourously. Vincent returns to the basement with three opened cans of corned beef hash, and one jar of pickles.

'So I'm...actin' that way? I don't mean to yo.. But Chocobo-head likes Vincent?' Reno turns to look at Vincent, his face still blushed. "Welcome back yo." Reno reaches into his pocket and pulls out the pill bottle, taking out two of them he quickly swallows them dry.

Red XIII wags his tail for the scent of beef. Vincent gives Reno and Red a can, and all three of them eat the corned beef hash directly from the can. Reno eats the quickest out of the three. For some reason, canned mystery meat tastes like a gourmet meal to him. Red places his paw on the side of the can in an attempt to lick and slurp out every last morsel of food. Vincent takes his time in eating, as he is still tired from staying up all night.

"Mmm, that was good yo! Thank you, Vincent!" Reno licks his fingers clean. "Is there anything ta drink down here yo, that I could hobble my way too?"

"There might be something in the small refrigerator, but it may not be cold." Vincent eats by holding the opened can to his lips and tilting his head back.

"I don't care if it's cold or not yo, I'm just thristy." Reno pushes himself up and hobbles his way to the small fridge, opening it and pulling out a bottle of tea. He opens it up and takes a sip, moaning at the refreshing taste, making his way back he carefully sits down and offers his drink to Vincent.

"Are you sure you don't want to drink more?" Vincent stares at the bottle Reno is holding in front of him. Vincent opens the glass jar of pickles, and Red is almost on top of the jar, grabbing a pickle directly from the jar. Red first licks the brine and juices from the pickle spears. Red then happily devours the pickle whole. Vincent, too, eats a pickle.

"I drank over half of it yo and you don't have anything, you need something to drink." Reno sets it in front of Vincent before grabbing a pickle and sucks on the end before he takes a bite.

"Thank you." Vincent drinks the rest of the bottled tea and seals the jar of pickles. "I would like for everyone to eat more, but the preserved food needs to be saved." Instead of going back upstairs, Vincent places the pickles in the refrigerator.

"It's alright, I don't eat much yo, I'm stuffed! I could fall back asleep, haha!" Reno says with a laugh, feeling like all he's done is sleep since he's been saved.

"You can go back to sleep. I plan on sleeping for a little while longer." Vincent cleans up the empty cans of corned beef.

Reno curls up on the mattress, this time with his back facing Vincent so he doesn't wake up embarrassed again. "I think it's runnin' for that week and all these pain pills yo, but the more I keep off my foot the better it heals, right?"

Vincent lays down on the mattress next to Reno. "That is the only way it will heal." Vincent looks down at Reno's injured foot. "In a couple of days, we'll change the bandage again."

"I guess I'll just have to find ways to entertain myself yo. Have good dreams, Vincent." Reno closes his eyes, his arms go to wrap around himself as he starts to fall sleep.

Soon, after Reno, Vincent, and Red fall asleep, the rest of the group returns to the bar. Vincent wakes up immediately. He knows he'll have to check the group for bites again. "Reno, you should come up with me." Vincent insists on Reno coming with him. He needs to show Reno the procedures for staying at the bar.

"Yeah, I should move for the day yo... Plus I have ta piss like a race horse!" Reno carefully pushes himself up and makes his way over to the elevator and waits for Vincent.

Vincent stands at the elevator with Reno, and Vincent begins to explain why he wants Reno to come upstairs with him. "Every time someone from the group comes from the outside, someone here is required to check the group for bites. You...may not remember, but Tifa and I did check you yesterday. You were in such shock, that I don't think you remembered anything directly after you had your injury."

Reno tilts his head as he tries to remember but nothing comes up. "No, I can't remember anything yo. But I've been stripped down so many times its normal for me!" Reno chuckles, he smiles over at Vincent. "You guys have this workin' like a well oiled machine."

"It has to be. We can't allow our complacency for one another to override being safe." Vincent and Reno greet Cid, Barret, Cloud, and Tifa just outside the door. "I have to check for bites. Everyone knows the routine."

Reno moves to sit down in a chair, knowing the others probably don't want him to see them naked. 'I hope this doesn't take long, I really have ta piss.' Reno thinks to himself. "Ya had ta bring 'im up, Vince?! I don' want no Shinra shit ta see me naked." Cid angrily says, pointing at Reno. "Don't worry yo, I wouldn't pay ta see ya naked!" Reno says with a smirk, making Tifa laugh.

"Reno does have to know the procedures, since he's going to be staying here for a month." Vincent looks down at the floor while everyone undresses. Once everyone is naked and standing in a row, shoulder to shoulder, Vincent checks everyone for bites. The only injury he sees are the scrapes on Cloud's knees, but they're clearly not bite wounds. "Everyone's free to go. Make sure you get that treated, Cloud. But, I'm sure I don't need to tell you twice."

'What am I gonna do after this month yo? But I can't use up their hospitality to long..' Reno pushes himself up and heads towards the bathroom slowly.

Everyone dresses themselves and Vincent returns to the basement. Before Reno is finished in the bathroom, Cloud waits for Reno to come out and he pulls Reno aside to speak to him. "I'm keeping my eye on you, Turk."

"Well, you're lucky, Chocobo-head, ya have such a lovely sight to look at yo! And if you haven't noticed, the Turks are no more, Shinra is no more, I'm just back ta bein' a slum rat again."

"What would stop you from betraying us?" Cloud crosses his strong arms. "Vincent has become too soft. The rest of us are going to be down your throat constantly...until you can prove yourself."

"I have nothin' left, Cloud. I lost most of my friends, my partner is most likely dead and I had ta fuckin' kill my own lover before he turned inta one of those things! Vincent took me in when I was seconds from death, I'm not gonna betray the trust he put in me yo!" Tears fills Reno eyes as he talks about Tseng, it still fresh in his mind.

Cloud grinds his teeth in anger. "Everyone has lost something here. You're not the only one." Cloud sighs to let his anger go. "You haven't proven yourself...yet. Go. Go back to the basement." Cloud waves his hands.

"I can't talk with ya, your hate for me is still ta strong, come find me when you see I'm just a man now yo." Reno hobbles passed Cloud, making his way to the jukebox, he presses the buttons he needs and heads down. 'I knew they wouldn't accept me yo.. At least I have Vincent and Red.'

Reno returns to the basement. Vincent is already asleep on the mattress, this time, Vincent has removed his cape. Vincent left his cape on the floor next to the mattress, so Red sleeps on Vincent's cape.

Reno heads over to the mattress and lays down, he can't help but look at Vincent's uncovered face. 'I must admit, he does look really beautiful yo.' Reno thinks to himself.

Vincent rolls on the mattress, causing Vincent's shirt to ride up slightly. A small part of Vincent's bare stomach is exposed, but Vincent is already sound asleep. Nothing will wake him at this point.

'Hmm, not bad yo.. He has a nice body, no wonder Cloud wants him so bad.' Reno fluffs his pillow, getting comfy and ready to sleep. 'Tseng, I miss you so much.. I wish you were here with me yo.'

Vincent sleeps for the rest of the day, but, like clockwork, Vincent wakes up around five in the evening. He loads his gun to head outside for the nightshift. Vincent checks outside and climbs the roof to get a better view of the horizon. 'They're coming...' Vincent sounds the alarm set by the group, which are firecrackers. The entire group scrambles outside to defend the perimeter placed around the bar. Through all of the activity, Reno still sleeps. Red XIII still sees that Reno is asleep, so he begins to drag Reno to the elevator by the collar. "Wake up! Here's the chance to prove yourself!"

"Urgh, wha'? S-stop draggin' me, I can..an move myself yo." Reno yawn and stretches his arms. "Now what do ya want, um Red?"

A large explosion rattles the entire bar, soon followed by another explosion. "It sounds like they brought out the big guns. Get your ass up! Everyone is already outside by now."

"I think Vincent took my gun yo! But I'll try my best ta help." Reno makes his way to the elevator and presses the buttons to go up, he hobbles over to the stairs. "Damn ya, stairs... I can do this, I have ta help Vincent." Reno slowly makes it up the stairs, he ends up panting once he gets up there and opens the door. "Wha' ya doin' out here, scum?! Ya no help!" Cid yells at Reno, who flicks Cid off and makes way to Vincent. "Give me my gun yo!"

Vincent returns Reno's gun, as well as giving Reno a rifle. "Use your pistol as a last resort." Vincent says as he blows the head off of a zombie. Barret also sits on the stairs. He scowls at Reno, but he can't complain since Reno is attempting to help. Cid and Cloud stand on abandoned cars inside of the protection of the wall. Cid reaches over the wall and spears the zombies in the head, while Cloud slashes and beheads the groaning monsters.

"Got it yo!"Reno loads the rifle and begins giving out perfect headshots, killing one that was making its way towards Cloud. He forgets any pain he feels as the feeling of battle fills him.

"Daddy?" A tiny worried voice calls out from the doorway of the bar. Marlene is worried for her father. Barrent hears his daughter calling for him. "Listen to your father! Stay inside, Marlene. Don't you dare come out here!" Barret yells to Marlene, not in anger, but in concern. He wouldn't know what to do if Marlene was hurt. Tifa wrangles Marlene away from the door while tossing an assault rifle towards Vincent. The fence surrounding the bar warps and bows as the dead press against it. Some zombies attempt to crawl under the fence, losing body parts as other zombies trample them. Several zombies succeed in crawling under the fence, many with missing legs or arms, even missing their entire lower half. The fowl odor from decaying blood and organs seems to coat the air like a thick fog.

"Damn!" Vincent shouts. "They're under the fence!" Vincent, Reno and Barret shoot as many of the dead as they can, while Cloud and Cid fight with their sword and spear. Red XIII jumps in by knocking the zombies off of their feet, making them easier to kill.

Reno quickly kills any zombies that get under the fence, he curses as he runs out of ammo. "Shit, I need more ammo yo!" Tifa throws him a new clip and he quickly reloads and shoots them down.

Tifa sees that the men are struggling to keep the dead away from the front door. The zombies slowly filter under the bowed fence, and Tifa has decided that she has had enough. She runs inside and returns outside with a 'homemade' flamethrower. Tifa slides a welder's mask over her face. "Get the fuck inside! Everyone!" The group try their best to retreat and Tifa unleashes a firestorm upon the unsuspecting horde. The dead wither under the flames, causing an unimaginable stench, rotting flesh, gasoline, grime, and soot. Truly reminiscent of the saying 'Hell on Earth'.

"Damnn! Now that's a woman yo!" Reno says with a smirk, as he falls into a chair, his foot sending hot signals of pain straight to his brain. "Fuck..." Reno takes the bottle out of his pocket and takes two pills.

Tifa and Vincent run inside and close the door quickly. Tifa takes off the welder's mask, revealing that the rest of her body is covered in ash and soot. Vincent, who used the end of his cape as a mask to breathe, also reveals that he too, is covered with black soot. Vincent and Tifa cough, the pungent air from outside still fills their lungs. "You two look as black as Barret's ass!" Cid lights a cigarette while wiping the viscous blood of the dead from his spear.

"Tif', that was amain' yo!" Reno smiles at here, he pats her on the back. "Thanks Reno, I wanted to help." Tifa keeps coughing, trying to get the soot out of her lungs.

Vincent wipes the soot away from his face and coughs. "We need...to clean up outside." Cloud, Cid, and Barret agree. "We'll clean up, you can rest." Cloud offers. Vincent, Reno and Tifa move away from the door. Cloud nods slightly, acknowledging Reno's bravery. "Not bad for a Turk." The men go outside to clean up the bodies and to fix the fence. Vincent and Tifa sit down on either side of Reno, and Red rests his head in Reno's lap. "You proved yourself to Cloud. That's a start." Red XIII praises Reno.

Reno pets Red's ears, smiling softly."Yeah, but it's gonna take alot more for Chocobo-Head ta trust me yo. But I'm glad ta help all I can." "You did well, once you are healed I can only imagine how much you can help us." Red says as he closes his eyes, loving his ears being petted

Vincent places his head down on the table. He quickly falls asleep at the table, and Vincent snores softly. He's already deep into sleep. "Let's leave him alone..." Tifa says in a whisper.

Reno can't help but smile at Vincent, finding his snoring cute. "He does so much yo.. He needs his rest." Reno slowly pushes himself up, limping to the elevator. "Ya wanna come, Red?"

"Yeah, I'll come with you." Red XIII scratches his neck and shakes his fur. Red follows Reno, sensing that Reno can be trusted.

Reno makes his way to the jukebox and enters the pass code; he rides it down with Red. "Ahh, I can't wait to flop down on a mattress yo."

"They're better than the floor." Red comments. He runs to lay next to the mattress and chews on it playfully. Once Reno lays down, Red sits on the mattress with him. "I saw how you looked at Vincent just a few minutes ago."

"Oh shut up, I can think he's cute but I'm not ready for anything. I just lost my lover a week ago, I...I miss his with all my heart and it's not ready to be filled by someone else, it may never be yo." Reno lays down on the bed, nuzzling into a pillow.

"You already have something in common with Vincent, then. There's nothing wrong with thinking someone is 'cute'." Red lays down with his paws spread out in front of him.

"Yeah, I'm sure all your other friends won't like me thinkin' Vincent is cute yo. I can already tell two of them like him." Reno turns to face Red, he itches his belly as he lets out a yawn.

"You mean Cid and Cloud? That's because they want what they can't have. They think Vincent is some sort of prize to be won." Red licks the edge of the mattress.

"Yeah, them yo. I'm not gonna get in between all that, I'd like to live!" Reno chuckles, he reaches out to pet Red's fur as he slowly falls asleep. "He's not a prize, he's worth more than that."

"I think Vincent is the 'Forbidden Fruit' to them." Red explains. "Everyone knows Vincent ignores flirtations. He acts differently with you." Red's paw twitches as Reno scratches him.

"Really? I..didn't know he acted different yo. And your fur is..really really soft." Reno says, drugged from the meds he took.

"I'm sure you'll notice it more as time passes. Let's go to sleep." Red sighs as Reno pets him. The petting lulls Red into sleep.

"Mmmm, sleep... That sounds good yo." Reno closes his eyes as he is lured to sleep, his hand still resting on Red's fur.

While Reno, Red, Tifa, and Vincent sleep, Cloud and the others work outside to clear out the burned bodies of the zombies. "Damn, they stink!" Barret holds his breath in an attempt to not breathe in the noxious fumes given off by the dead.

"Just breath through your mouth, we'll get over with this faster." Cloud says as he moves a body, cursing silently as it's guts spill out on his shoes. "Damn Cloud! We'll have ta find ya a new pair of boots!" Cid says to Cloud.

"And then, we'll have 'rselves a damn barbeque!" Barret throws a charred body over the fence. Cid scrapes up the spilled intestines with his spear. "Yeah a nice Korean style 'que!...Disgusting mother fuckers."

Cloud throws another other the fence with disgust, kicking the guts off his boots. "That sounds good, get back to somewhat normal." Cloud pauses for a moment to catch his breath, he watches the others throwing body parts.

Cid helps Cloud scrape the rotting innards from his boots. While Barret throws an incinerated leg over the fence, he spots a caravan driving slowly down the road. "Who the fuck is that?" Barret asks, wanting to get Cloud's attention.

Cloud looks up, wondering the same thing. "Survivors I'm guessing, but we can't take any more people."

Cid looks over the fence as well. "Who knows, who cares?" Cid shrugs it off until the caravan drives by the fence. The windows open to reveal topless women, trying to promote their wares. "God damn!" Cid coughs. "I don't know what would be worse, the smell of their pussies, or the zombies!" The women hear Cid's loud voice and drive away quickly. Some of the women spit and curse at Cloud, Cid and Barret.

"They were a little worse for wear. That's for sure." Barret agrees with Cid as the women drive down the road.

Cloud can't help but shake his head at them. "It wouldn't be their fault that they couldn't bathe, they are just trying to survive." Cid lights a cigarette and spits on the ground. "I wouldn't touch 'em even if they just bathed, who knows what they have, man!" Barret throws another body over the fence. "They could be infected too, and you'd never know until it's too late."

"There are more important things than sex now, just living is a journey." Cloud throws the last body over the fence with a grunt, slapping his hands together to clean them.

"Slum whores haven't changed much, then." Barret adds while wiping his brow. "Now, let's fix this fence. It's gettin' dark."

~ the poem's author is James Reeves.~


	3. Chapter 3

In the morning, Vincent cleans his face off using a wash tub and vodka. He washes away the soot and ash from the day before. After that, Vincent goes down to the basement to check on Reno. Vincent sits down on the bench next to Reno. "Good morning."

Reno rolls over towards Vincent with a yawn as he stretches his arms up, he smiles softly at the sound of Vincent's voice. "Mmm, Mornin' yo.. How are ya?"

"I'm alright. How is your foot?" Vincent asks with concern. Red XIII stretches and yawns, but he's still not ready to wake up just yet. "Good morning, Red." Vincent scratches Red's back.

"I think I over did it yesterday yo, so I'm restin' it now.. I'm tryin' to save on how many pills I take, I'm used to pain yo." Reno pushes himself, rubbing the sleep out of his right eye. "You look much better now, I'm glad ya got your sleep in, Vincent."

Vincent nods his head. "I haven't been able to sleep in that long for awhile. There's always something to do, zombies to kill."

Reno nods to show he understands, he sniffs a bit. "Why do ya smell like my old man's whore yo? Did ya bathe in Vodka?"

"I washed my face with Vodka. I still hadn't washed my face from yesterday. It does work." Vincent has become used to the smell of alcohol, as he has used it to wash his face ever since the zombies showed up in the slums.

"Oh, alright yo. You do look much better." Reno runs his fingers though his long hair, getting the tangles out before he puts it back in it's tie. "The smell just took me back ta bad memories."

"I probably smell like the town drunk." Vincent rests his hands in his lap. "Clean water and soap are more scarce these days than alcohol." Vincent hears the elevator, and Cloud arrives in the basement. "Vincent, there's a caravan parked outside of the fence. We better have a look." Cloud urgently brings this fact to Vincent's attention. Vincent immediately jumps up to go outside with Cloud. "I'll be right back." Vincent reassures Reno as the elevator moves to the upper floor. "This caravan...what has you worried about it, Cloud? They may just be survivors looking for shelter." "They're all dressed in strange cloaks, and I can't make out what they're saying from inside the bar." Cloud replies. Vincent loads his rifle before heading outside with Cloud.

Reno watches Vincent as he leaves, wishing he could help them rather than stuck on the floor. "Damn it...I wish I could help yo."

Vincent hears Reno's voice coming from downstairs. 'I feel bad for leaving him down there.' Vincent sighs as he cleans his rifle. "Let's take a look, Cloud."

Cloud looks at Vincent curiously, wondering why Vincent is being to nice to the Turk. "So the Turk is still alive?" Cloud grabs his sword and a gun, ready to go out and meet the new comers.

"Yes...Don't get me wrong. What the Turks have done is wrong, but we...I couldn't leave him out there to die." Vincent explains to Cloud. "I do not care if you agree with me or not."

"I just don't trust him.. I saw him kill over a thousand people with a smirk on his face, it'll take awhile for me to trust him fully.. But what he did last night helped." Cloud opens the front door.

"What the hell?" Vincent mumbles to himself as he spots the caravan, the people that Cloud mentioned are now standing outside of the fence, chanting and standing in a semi-circle. The people gathered outside the fence spot Cloud and Vincent and begin shouting at them. "Tear down your barricades, and give yourselves to the Gods!" An older man shouts. "Sacrifice yourselves, and have eternal salvation! Let the blessed feast on your flesh!" A younger woman exclaims.

"Great, just what we need, a crazed cult... If we shoot them, they'll just come back to life and it will be a waste of ammo. What should we do, Vincent?" Cloud curses as he looks over the fence.

"A bullet would be giving them their 'eternal salvation'. Let's wait and see what they do." The group outside the fence continue to shout. "If you don't want salvation, then you deserve to be damned!" A cultist raises their arm, exposing a festering wound, seeping with pus.

Cloud makes a face of disgust, turning away from them. "That's not good at all. We can't let them bring an infection into our camp!"

Vincent nods in agreement. "Let's give them a warning, and give them something to think about so they don't come back here again." Vincent aims his rifle at the cultist's infected arm. "You don't know how bad I want to take that arm out, Cloud..."

"Do it, do it while they're still far enough away." Cloud pulls out his sword, ready for a fight.

Vincent uses the sight on his rifle to aim at the cultist. "I was waiting for your go-ahead." Vincent fires at the cultist with the infected arm. With a single shot, Vincent takes off the cultist's arm. The man whose arm was shot off laughs hysterically, and the rest of the cult scramble back into their caravan to escape. One of the other cultist men shout back at Cloud and Vincent. "You will have your 'redemption'! Mark my words!"

"We should double up on our watches, I don't think they'll stay away for long..." Cloud watches as they drive away, glad it didn't get out of hand.

"Morning and evening watches, then?" Vincent sighs in frustration. "You never know how people will react when the world is ending. Not everyone will come out with their sanity."

"I'll tell Barret to take the morning watches, Tifa can look after Marlene while he's out here. I just want to be careful, Vincent.." Cloud straps the sword back on, ready to walk back in.

"We need to work together, at least until this chaos dies down. We are all still a team...Avalanche." Vincent states with pride. "We are all friends in this together."

"Yeah, Avalanche all the way. We'll get through this together. Lets get back in there and tell everyone it's alright." Cloud smiles at Vincent, heading back towards the bar.

Vincent feels satisfied with the cultists leaving. He walks inside with Cloud, and Tifa waits at the door. "What happened out there, Cloud? I heard a gunshot and shouting." Tifa asks for an explanation.

Cloud leans his blade against the wall and sighs. "Some crazed cult wanting us to 'sacrifice' ourselves and other crazed stuff. "

"I had to shoot one of them in the arm." Vincent adds to Cloud's explanation. Tifa huffs softly. "Whatever it takes to protect the kids, that is what you should do." Tifa runs her hands through her long, black hair. "I'll start breakfast for everyone."

"Do..you need some help with that, Tifa?" Cloud asks quietly, walking over to the bar. "Um..Sure, if you'd like to, Cloud."

Vincent returns to the basement to tell Reno and Red XIII about what happened outside. "I'm back." Vincent settles on the bench next to Reno, who has fallen asleep. Red gently paws Reno awake. "Vincent's back, Reno."

Reno's eyelids flutter open, he quickly sits up at the sight of Vincent. "You're alright yo. What happened?!" Reno pushes himself up to lean against the bench by Vincent.

"There were some cultists at the fence. At least one of them was infected, and I shot that one in the arm." Vincent places his rifle on the bench. Red's ears fold forward. "I'm going to help you guard the perimeter at night from now on." Red insists. "Thank you, Red. I'd feel better if we both guarded the bar at night for the next few weeks."

Reno looks down, feeling useless with his hurt foot. "They'll learn quick not ta come back here yo, unless they're idiots."

"I can tell you right now, they wouldn't care if we would kill them all. The cultists worshiped the zombies as if they were Gods." Vincent shakes his head. "They're already stupid for believing in sacrificing innocent people to their 'Gods'."

"Ugh, how could you worship those...those things? They were named by a man crazier than bat-shit and who couldn't even control them like he wanted ta, they killed 'im thankfully." Reno says angrily, his hatred for Hojo runs deep.

"It's like I told Cloud. Some people can't deal with the world ending, so they go mad. It's their own way of dealing with the pain." Vincent rests his head back against the bench. His Adam's apple and neck become partially exposed.

"I guess... You know you can lie down on a mattress if ya want to yo, I won't..you know again.." Reno can't help but blush when he looks down.

Red XIII looks at Vincent, as if to tell him to lay down with Reno. Vincent raises his head and leans forward. "It's not that. I didn't want to disturb you, that's all."

"Vincent...I spent the first ten years of my life as a slum rat, half of that I lived on the street, ya won't disturb me yo. Now get that ass down here or I'll kick with my good foot!" Reno says with a laugh, smirking at Vincent.

Vincent nods, not being able to resist laying on a mattress to rest his back. He lays on the mattress next to Reno and stares up at the ceiling. "Tifa should be serving breakfast soon..."

"Mm, that should be good yo. I think I can get off the bed for food." Reno says playfully, he pulls his hair infront of him. "Damn, I had this lookin' nice now it's all tangled again."

"How one's hair looks is the least of our worries." Vincent states knowingly. Red sits at Reno and Vincent's feet and watches the two men converse. He already knows what Reno thinks of Vincent and wants to see how everything will play out.

"I know, but I've always been proud of my hair yo. It's been my thing. Rude had his glasses and I had my hair. My Ma had bright red hair like this, that's one of the thing I really remember 'bout her." Reno runs his fingers though his hair, calming himself.

"It's like what Cerberus is to me, then." Vincent rolls on his side to face Reno. "I have Cerberus put away. It would be a disgrace to use that piece of art on a zombie."

"Yeah, that gun is too good for those..those things. But it sure does pack a punch yo, I've gotten one of your bullets and that hurt like a bitch!" Reno lifts up his shirt to show the scar from where they took the bullet out.

"I used hollow-point bullets. They're meant to leave behind a nasty wound. I wouldn't use a hollow-point to kill a zombie, though. They're not meant for penetration, but they are meant for leaving behind a bunch of shrapnel inside a target's body." Vincent states bluntly. "They're more of a nuisance, as you have experienced."

"Yeah, we were out on the field so I got the fun of Tseng digging around inside me, taking out each piece. Luckily, we had some whiskey for me to drink to numb myself yo." Reno shakes he head as he remembers, a single tear falls at the thought of his lover.

Vincent can tell that Reno has become upset. "I'm sorry you lost him." Vincent knows that Reno must be thinking of how Tseng had to die, because Vincent felt the same pain, many years ago.

"T-thanks... I know he'd yell at me for actin' like this and want me ta keep livin', for him. But I can't help but I can't help but miss him yo, he was my first real love. Plus he was fun as hell ta tease." Reno sniffs and quickly wipes his eyes.

"You'll always miss him. There's nothing wrong with that, but sometimes, you have to live day by day, just to survive." Vincent seems to share his experience with Reno on how he persevered with his own pain.

"You would of liked him yo, you know...If we weren't enemies.. I've been tryin' my best, I know he's happy where he is and safe from...those things." Reno curls his hair around his fingers with a sad smile.

"I knew Tseng, actually. I was 27, and Tseng was a very young recruit...I hadn't seen him in so long, I almost didn't recognize him when I saw him as the leader of the Turks." Vincent sighs, and he wonders why he's reminiscing about the past with a former enemy.

"I first met him when he was 20, I thought he was stuck up at first, but I still crushed on him. I would say anything to make him blush, it was so easy." Reno said with a laugh.

"Tseng was only a boy when I met him. Only 13...That was back when the Turks were known as 'The Department of Administrative Research'."

"Hm, I was 13 when he recurted me for the Turks. He saw me killin' a...I don't know why I keep openin' up ta ya so much yo." Reno looks over at Vincent.

"It has something to do with being a Turk, I think. I hated what Shinra did to me, and I hate Hojo for what he's done, but there was a comradely to being a Turk. I can't deny that aspect of it."

'I wonder why I keep fallin' for older men.. I had enough of them at the Don's, maybe that's what fucked with my head.' Reno thinks to himself, he can't help but look Vincent in the eye. "Yeah, there was always a comradely. The Turks were my only family, I had no one else."

Vincent hears Tifa's voice call from upstairs. "Breakfast is ready!" Tifa shouts loud enough so everyone in the bar will hear the call to eat. Vincent rises from the mattress for breakfast. "Do you want to go upstairs?" Vincent asks Reno in a soft, low voice.

"Yeah, I'll make my way up there yo. You go ahead, I'll make my way back up there." Reno smiles at Vincent, he pats him on the shoulder.

Vincent nods and heads upstairs by himself. Red XIII approaches Reno and sits next to him. "It looked like you were going to kiss Vincent for a moment, there."

"Oh shut up, ya mutt! I was just havin' a nice talk with him, I..he's the only one who really likes me here, other than you and Tifa. Plus..It help to talk to someone 'bout Tseng." A light blush covers Reno's cheeks.

"I saw...When you were looking in Vincent's eyes, I thought you were going to kiss him." Red wags his tail. "Vincent is quiet, but he's a good listener."

"You're just over romantic yo, I think you've seen too many of the mushy movies." Reno smiles softly. "But..he is a very good listener, I feel like I can tell him everything yo."

Red XIII scratches his left ear and shakes his head. "I'm not romantic. I'm just telling you what I saw. I'm an animal, and I can sense these things."

"I'm not ready for anything yet yo.. He's just a good friend, that's all. Now lets go up and eat, I'm sure they're waitin' for us." Reno pushes himself up and hobbles to the jukebox.

Red follows Reno to the elevator. "I know, give it some time." Red wags his tail once he smells the breakfast Tifa made.

"Mmmm, that smells good yo.." Reno rides it up and takes a few steps out, pausing when everyone stares at him again. "Umm.. Good Mornin' yo.."

Cloud mumbles a 'Good morning' to Reno when Tifa gives Cloud a dirty look. Barret and Cid still don't want to have anything to do with Reno, and Vincent quietly eats his breakfast with Marlene and Denzel. Marlene, of course, being a friendly little girl greets Reno. "Good morning!" Tifa tells the children to scoot over for Reno, and Red sits under the table at Marlene and Denzel's feet.

Reno makes his way to the table and carefully sits down, making sure his feet don't hit Red. "This looks amazin', Tifa!" Tifa smiles and hands Reno his plate of toast with jam on it.

"It's only toast with a little bit of strawberry jam. It's nothing special." Once everyone is served, Tifa sits down to eat as well. Denzel tears off the crust of his bread and gives the scraps to Red XIII. Denzel giggles with a sore throat as Red licks his fingers. Tifa notices Denzel's scratchy voice. "Go back to bed when you're finished eating. You're still sick." Denzel coughs and clears his throat. "Yes, mum..."

"To me, any food looks amazin' yo." Reno picks it up and takes a bite, humming at it. "I..I know a cure for colds, I can make it maybe yo.." "Really? What's that?" Tifa asks, wanting anything to making Denzel feel better. "It's a soup Tseng used ta make me, an old Wutai cure yo." Reno says, shyly looking up.

Denzel looks over at Reno. "Soup? You mean like Chicken and Stars? Or...Alphabet soup?" Denzel smiles, knowing that he won't have to eat something strange.

"Um...well, it's an old recipe. He used to make it for me when I was sick yo. It has carrots in it, lily bulbs, some fresh ginger and..um.. some Carp tails." Reno waits for the reaction, knowing no child will like that.

Denzel scowls at the mention of fish. "I don't like fish...I think it tastes nasty!" Marlene pokes Denzel in the arm. "My daddy says you should try something, even if it looks bad!" Denzel rolls his eyes and huffs, blowing the fringe on his forehead aside. Tifa smiles at Denzel. "Don't worry, I'll cook everything. You like my cooking, don't you?" Denzel sighs. "Yes, mum. I do like what you cook, I just hate fish!" Tifa encourages Denzel. "It's alright. Sometimes, medicine doesn't always taste the best, but it's good for you."

"I don't like fish either yo, but this tastes really sweet; you can't even taste the fish. Believe me, Tseng had to fight me at first before I took a drink of it." Reno said with a smile, trying to show the boy that it's okay.

"Alright...but if you're lying to me, you have to eat something gross too!" Denzel dares Reno. Marlene giggles at Denzel, knowing how much he hates fish. "I'll eat some with you, if that will make you feel better." Marlene pats Denzel on the shoulder. "And I want you better so you can play with me!"

"Cross my heart yo!" Reno chuckles softly, he quickly finishes his meal, wanting to start on the soup as soon as he can. Once down he pushes himself up. "Is it alright if I start on it now?"

Tifa looks at Reno in surprise. "If you want to help me, of course! But, will you be able to help me with your injury?" Tifa cleans off the table as everyone finishes their breakfast.

"I could sit in a chair and tell ya the recipe, I haven't taken those pills yet today so I'll be safe with a knife yo.. Plus, I have to make sure it comes out right, or I'm in trouble." Reno winks at Denzel.

"In that case, would you like to cook everything outside? We could cook the soup over a real fire. Turning the stove on now will be a strain on our resources. You can sit outside and get some fresh air." Tifa rinses the dishes with alcohol, and everyone but Reno filters to their posts and chores.

"That sounds good yo, it'd nice to breath in some fresh air." Reno can't help but watch Vincent stand and leave, wondering what he's going to do. "Do you have soup bags? It'll help keep the bones out of the soup..

Tifa rummages through the bar's storage cabinets. "I think we do somewhere!" Tifa finds a package of soup bags, yet to be opened. "Here we are!" Tifa tosses the soup bags on the bar table. "We only have dried carp. I wouldn't eat anything other than dried or canned meat. Eventhough our refrigerator is running because of our generator, but it's only on during the daylight hours."

"That's have ta work, now we need lily bulbs for sweetness, ginger, and some carrots." Reno takes the soup bags, hanging them over his arm.

"We have canned sliced carrots, dried ginger..." Tifa places the ingredients in a row on the bar. "And we have some lilies growing in the back, along with some tomatoes, lettuce, and herbs."

Reno chews on his lips, knowing they're supposed to use the freshest ingredients but in these days, that is just not possible. "Those will have to work; we'll also need water, of course. I know it's scarce but everyone can eat this yo, not just the sick."

"We'll have to make due with what we have." Tifa shrugs her shoulders, knowing what Reno is saying is true. "I don't enjoy cooking with preserved foods either." Tifa sighs and gathers the cooking pot, utensils, and several bottles of water.

"This will still work out, they didn't have everything in the old days and this soup was still made yo." Reno takes what they need to cook and waits for Tifa to lead him outside.

"Let me show you the back." Tifa smiles and leads the way. She shows Reno the fire pit used to cook some of the daily meals. "We have the fire pit, and we also practice shooting out here." Tifa shows Reno where there are old cans and bottles lined neatly in a row. "Oh, and Cid's back here, trying to get that old Volkswagon bus to run! He's been working on it for days." Cid turns to look back at Tifa and Reno, covered head to toe in grease.

'Oh great, this should be fun yo. Wait..I..' Reno thinks to himself. "I know that bus yo, it was the Don's!" Reno looks over at it before he follows after Tifa, setting down everything by the fire pit.

"You mean that bastard from The Honeybee?" Tifa overhears Reno talking to himself. "Yeah, I'm glad he's gone." Tifa pours the water, filling the pot only to the middle. She hangs the pot over the blackened pit.

"Yeah, him..." Reno shakes his head, making the old memories go away. Reno takes the dried fish and puts it in the soup bag before setting the bag in the pot. "We'll let that boil for a bit yo, could you get the lily bulbs?"

"I'll get them, but I want to show you where the garden is, since you'll be staying here for awhile." Tifa walks around the corner, and in between the bar and the barricade, a garden was planted by Avalanche, in hopes of having some food in desperate times. "You know...the zombies have been in the slums for over a month, now. But, just a week ago, things have become much worse. I never would have thought the fall of Shinra would have been our death." Tifa almost talks to herself, reflecting on everything that has happened.

tsunade_sama888: "I know, most of our missions were us bein' sent ta the slums to try and get it under control, but..there was just ta many yo.." Reno hobbles over to look at the garden, not much but in these times it is hope.

Tifa, with a tear, pulls two Day Lilies out from the root, pulling the bulbs out in one piece. "If memory serves me right, the leaves are edible as well." Tifa hands the lillies over to Reno. "Maybe we can add them to the soup?"

"Sure, I don't see why not yo! I don't think Tseng would..would mind us adding to it." Reno takes the lilies and walks back over to the pot, he begins to dismantle three of the bulbs, brushing the dirt off of them.

Tifa pours water over the bulbs to wash off the excess dirt. She smiles encouragingly at Reno. "I'm sure Tseng would approve. We can't let any part of these to go to waste, either." Tifa picks off the lily petals with care.

"We can put the flowers in the bar yo, bring somethin' nice lookin' in." Reno smiles up at her and plops the bulbs in as well as the carrots, he stirs everything together before letting it cook. "Now we just have ta wait yo."

Tifa saves one of the lilies, leaving the petals intact. However, the ones she already picked go straight in the soup. "We can taste the soup later, and see if anything needs to be added. How long will it take for everything to cook?"

" 'bout an hour yo, I can keep an eye on it if you have somethin' ta do. It's not like I have much ta do." Reno leans back in the chair, watching the soup boil.

"I'll go inside and place this lily in a vase. I think it'll bring some cheer back to the bar." Tifa holds the bright orange lily close to her heart, feeling like it's a step towards being normal again.

Reno relaxes in the chair, hoping this soup turns out well. Wanting to win them over so he doesn't feel as much as an outsider.

Cid walks over to Reno once Tifa is inside. He lights a cigar and stands over the boiling pot of soup. "What the hell are you cookin'?"

"An old Wutai soup to help with colds, for Denzel yo.. Tseng would make it for me and he taught me how ta make it." Reno closes his eyes, trying to ignore the man who hates him.

"Wutai? They have some damn good food." Cid chuckles while biting down on his cigar. "Tell me, Turk, did ya' poison the shit?" Cid blows a ring of smoke in Reno's face.

Reno sighs, crossing his arms over his chest. "Tifa was with me the whole time yo, plus I'd never harm a child." He opens his eyes and waves the smoke from his face. "But you could poison it with that thing ya call a cigar."

"You're nuttier than squirrel shit, you know that?" Cid walks away from Reno, wanting to return to working on the old, broken down Volkswagon.

"Yep and proud of it yo!" Reno yells out with a smirk, he stares at the Don's van, remembering it picking him up when he was ten and his work started there. 'No, that was another lifetime ago.'

"Hey, while you're poisoning our food, you might as well help me with this piece of shit!" Cid calls out to Reno. Cid hates asking for help, but no one else is willing to work on the van because of the interior. It's floors and seats are sticky with residue that seems to be bodily fluids.

"Fine, ya old grease monkey!" Reno stirs the soup once more before hobbling over to the van, he finds a bucket and flips it over before sitting down on it. "Okay now, where the hell is the hood yo?

"I got your god damn grease monkey right here." Cid gives Reno the finger and moves his hand in a pumping motion. "It ain't got a hood. Everything's in the back."

"Ugh, ya just blinded me yo. And damn it, ya could of told me that before I sat down, ya ass!" Reno sighs as he carefully stands up and heads towards the back with his bucket.

"You jus' need to learn more about engines." A large piece of ash falls off of Cid's cigar. "I'll only explain the shit once, so pay attention."

"Hey! Give me a 'copter and I can fix that thing till it purrs yo! I..never had ta work with cars and vans!" Reno gets protective of his mechcanical know how.

"Helicopters, huh? I used to build those fuckers for Shinra back in the day...and fix 'em." Cid sits on the ground next to the Volkswagon's bumper. He smokes and drinks a cheap beer.

"I was the best pilot they had; I had my own helicopter that I took care of and everything yo." Reno smirks, he waits for Cid to tell him what to do.

"Yeah...And I bet you were underpaid too." Cid crawls under the Volkswagon. "Dirty Shinra bastards." Cid grumbles and pinches his hand on a piece of rusted metal. "Ah, god damn!" Cid shakes the pain out of his hand. "Hey, Turk, sit down 'ere so I can show you what I'm doing!"

"Hey! I was one of those dirty bastard yo, ya old man!"" Reno yells back at him before carefully sitting down on the ground, making sure not to hurt his foot.

"Look 'ere, Turk. The damn fuel line has a leak. Can't run the thing without gas." Cid wipes his hands on his jeans. "We gotta patch it."

"Alright, do we have anything ta patch it with yo?" Reno lays on his back to look under as well.

"I have some duct tape in my tool box. We'll have to use that." Cid wipes sweat from his brow. "Oh, and just because I'm showin' you how to do this, doesn't mean I like you! I'm guessin' you'll be here for awhile, so I might as well make your ass work while you're here!"

"Don't be thinkin' I like you either yo! This is just more entertainin' than watchin' soup!" Reno moves out and sits up before he reaches into the tool box and pulls out the duck tape.

Reno helps Cid with fixing the bus, and soon after, Reno hobbles back to the pot of soup to see if it's finished. The fishtail soup appears to be finished, so, Reno calls to Tifa, and Tifa brings Denzel outside with a bowl and a spoon. Marlene follows Denzel, wanting to try the soup as well. Little Marlene also carries a bowl and spoon. Tifa serves a portion of the hot soup to Denzel. The young boy scowls at the sight of a fishtail floating in his soup. "Bleh...This doesn't look very good." Denzel sticks his lounge out at the sight of the soup while Marlene is excited to try something new. "I think it looks yummy, Denzy!" Marlene picks up her spoon and carefully slurps at the hot broth. "It's good, Denzy! Just try it." Marlene encourages Denzel to try the soup, and after some encouraging,

Denzel tries the soup with his eyes closed. "It's...okay I guess." Denzel sighs.

"I added an extra lily bulb to make it really sweet for ya yo. It should make your throat feel better and help with the cough, alright little dude?" Reno asks Denzel with a smile, wanting the kids to like him and not be scared.

"Yeah...It's not bad, I guess. You won't have to eat something nasty, then. You won the bet!" Denzel swirls his spoon around in his bowl before taking another spoonful of broth down his throat.

Reno smiles at Denzel. "I trusted my soup yo, now drink it all so you feel better and all three of us can play a card game tagether."

"Playing cards is for boys!" Marlene says playfully. "I like playing with my dollies." Marlene eats a chunk of lily from the soup. "Your dolls are stupid." Denzel teases Marlene. "Nuh uh, Denzy! You're just jealous!"

"Hey hey now, we can do both yo! It's not like I can do much with this foot, now both of ya eat your soup." Reno looks around, wondering what he can do next.

Denzel tips the bowl towards his lips. "We can play later. I don't want to play with dolls, so we'll have to share something to play with." Marlene nods while eating her soup. Her pigtails bounce as she shakes her head. "Maybe we can play with Red?" Marlene suggests. Denzel's eyes light up in excitement. "Yeah, we can do that!"

Reno smiles down at them, finding them very cute together. He always wanted to have children, but he never thought he would be a good father.

Red XIII hears Marlene call out his name, and he runs outside to see what she wants. "I heard you call for me?" Marlene and Denzel sit down next to Red. "Yeah, I told Denzel I wanted to play with you." Marlene wraps her arms around Red's neck. "I love you, Red!" Marlene kisses Red on his muzzle. Denzel scratches Red's back with joy in his eyes. Red XIII is a sucker for affection from the children, so he nearly melts on the floor and exposes his stomach to be scratched. Marlene and Denzel both rub Red's stomach, causing Red's hind legs to kick in the air. Red XIII lets out a relaxed howl while Marlene and Denzel giggle with happiness.

Reno laughs softly, shaking his head at Red's reaction. "Well, I see I'm not needed here anymore yo! You got 'em, Red?"

"Yeah, I'll watch them." Red rolls back onto his stomach, and Marlene sits on Red's back. She laughs as Red walks around with her still riding on his back.

Reno smiles and gives them a wave before he hobbles away, towards the front of the bar. 'I'm glad I was able ta help the kids yo, it makes me feel good. I wonder where Vincent went ta yo..."

~That's it for this chapter, we hoped you liked it! And thank you for everyone who has reviewed!~


	4. Chapter 4

Reno roams through the inside of the bar, trying to find where Vincent went. Reno, finally checks outside of the front door. He finds Vincent outside, working on strengthening weak points in the barricade. Vincent works hard, having removes his cape and shirt. His normally straight, black hair curls slightly from being soaked with sweat and becomes ragged from body heat. The long strands of hair cling to Vincent's forehead, chest and back while he stacks large tires against the wall.

'Really yo, really? I can't get a break, can I?' Reno groans as he watches Vincent's bend over to pick up a piece of wood, he blushes at the sight of Vincent's tight bottom. 'Well, at least I found him..'

Vincent hammers the piece of wood to reinforce the fence. He wipes the sweat from his brow and sits down for a break. Breathing deeply, Vincent's chest rises and collapses softly, until he notices Reno standing on the steps. "What the hell are you doing out here? You're supposed to be resting..."

"I..um..I was makin' soup for Denzel yo, then Cid had me help 'im fix the Don's van." Reno slowly hobbles over to Vincent wincing slightly.

"I saw that the fence was still weak, so I wanted to repair what I could." Vincent sighs deeply from being winded and working. "It was nightfall when they tried to fix it the first time. There wasn't much light to work with."

"Do..do yo want some company ta talk ta yo? I'll stay off my foot, I promise!" Reno falls down on his bottom with a 'umph', stretching his leg out to rest it.

"As long as you keep off of your foot, I can't stop you." Vincent pulls his hair back and ties it in a crude, knotted bun. He only uses his own strands as a means of pulling his black nest of hair back.

"I'm on my ass and my foot is restin' yo!" Reno brushes the hair out of his face as he watches Vincent. "The kids liked my soup, well Marlene did, and Denzel said it was alright but he kept drinking it."

"I heard Denzel making a fuss about it earlier. I'm glad you made him eat it. Denzel has been sick with a cold for a few weeks now."

"Poor boy, it does help yo. I didn't wanna try it at first either, Tseng had ta force it down my throat but I gave in and felt much better." Reno watches Vincent, wishing he could help him with the fence.

Vincent hammers a board diagonally against the fence and tosses several tires against the fence where the zombies crawled under, creating a hole. "There are so many abandoned cars, and every time we find one, only the hubcaps and engines are gone. Many of the looters don't think about taking anything else."

"Looters aren't the smartest bunch yo. I saw you guys took the Don's van, ya plannin' on leavin' here?" Reno asks curiously, just wanting to know.

"If the time comes when we have to leave, then, yes...For now, we're going to try and use the van for collecting supplies." Vincent brushes the dirt away from his hands.

"At least it's goin' ta a better use now yo." Reno begins to make designs in the dirt.

"I know of what you speak. All of the prostitutes would be gathered up, using that van. Disgusting...if you ask me." Vincent steps back to inspect his work on the barricade. Satisfied with his work, Vincent moves on to another chore. He grabs a shovel and starts on digging a hole in the ground.

Reno looks down and away from Vincent, remembering when he had to work in that van till Tseng saved him from that life. 'I'm...disgustin' to 'im yo.. He'd never like me that way, even if I was ready.'

Vincent notices that Reno seems to be upset. "I didn't say the prostitutes were disgusting. I think what was done to them was wrong." Vincent digs the hole deeper and spots a strip of red soil. "Ah, look, we have alkaline soil. That's what I was looking for."

"Hmmm? Alkaline soil? Why do ya need that yo?" Reno tries to look over to see what Vincent is doing, feeling a little better that Vincent explained himself.

"It's perfect for food preservation. You can make what's called a 'Century Egg' with it. You coat the eggs with this soil, some salt, and rice, and the egg will be preserved." Vincent explains.

"Oh, that's great yo! Do you need any help gatherin' it?" Reno asks excitedly, wanting to help Vincent and earn his stay.

Vincent knows Reno is eager to work, so he allows Reno to help him. "I'll get a bucket from inside, and you can start digging the soil out, if you want."

Reno nods and pushes himself up, hobbling over to where Vincent is and picks up the shovel and starts to dig, it takes him a few tries to get balanced on one foot but once he gets a hang of it, he easily digs.

Vincent knows Reno is eager to work, so he allows Reno to help him. "I'll get a bucket from inside, and you can start digging the soil out, if you want."

Reno nods and pushes himself up, hobbling over to where Vincent is and picks up the shovel and starts to dig, it takes him a few tries to get balanced on one foot but once he gets a hang of it, he easily digs.

Vincent returns with a bucket, along with some eggs, and the ingredients for preserving them. Vincent sits down next to the hole Reno is helping to dig. "You really should be resting your foot."

"I am restin' it , see? I'm standin' on one leg yo!" Reno says with a grin, smiling at Vincent.

"That's not what I mean by resting." Vincent shakes his head and kneels in the dirt. He opens the egg carton and carefully sniffs each egg, checking to see if they're still fresh. "I know Tseng taught you some recipes, did he teach you on how to make a tea egg, by chance?"

"He made it for me once before yo but..I never learned how ta make it myself yo." Reno begins to fill the fill the bucket.

"Tifa knows how to make them. I'll save some of these so we can make tea eggs later." Vincent coats some eggs in the dirt Reno put in the bucket. Once the layer of dirt is applied, Vincent covers the outside with salt, then with grains of rice.

"That sounds good yo, I'm lookin' forward ta it! Tell me how much we need." Reno keeps shoveling, sweat beads fall down his cheeks, making his red hair even darker and sticks to his forehead.

"That is enough. I'm not going to use the whole dozen. After the eggs are coated, we're going to bury them again." Vincent makes sure to coat all of the eggs evenly with dirt, salt, and rice.

"Alright yo." Reno puts the shovel in the grounds then leans against it, he watches Vincent as he works, his body screaming at him in pain.

Vincent can tell Reno is in pain. "Sit down, or go inside. You're going to make your foot worse." Vincent wipes his forehead.

"But it gets borin' just layin' down in the basement yo. I..I want to help, I just haven't takin' any pills yet today." Reno sighing, knowing he should go inside but his stubbornness winning.

"You won't be able to help if you continue to hurt yourself." Vincent buries the eggs with the rest of the dirt and mud. Vincent pats the ground solid with his boots.

"Fine yo... I'll head back downstairs." Reno hobbles his way back to the house and slowly makes his way to the bar, once at the jnukebox he enters the code and rides it down. 'I wish Vincent came with me yo.' Reno lies down on the bed, staring up at the ceiling.

After an hour, Vincent finishes patching up the ground, so he returns to the basement, still shirtless and sweaty. Vincent notices Reno is resting, like he's supposed to. "I'm glad to see you lying down."

Reno looks over at Vincent and can't help but blush, a small smile covers his face. "Yep, I'm gonna get bed sores from how much I'm layin' down yo."

After an hour, Vincent finishes patching up the ground, so he returns to the basement, still shirtless and sweaty. Vincent notices Reno is resting, like he's supposed to. "I'm glad to see you lying down."

Reno looks over at Vincent and can't help but blush, a small smile covers his face. "Yep, I'm gonna get bed sores from how much I'm layin' down yo."

"You'll be healed soon enough, if you rest." Vincent unties his hair, letting it fall down to frame his face and neck.

"It's so borin' restin' yo, I'm not used ta just sittin' still. I'm always doin' something." Reno starts to count the spots on the ceiliing, trying not to look at Vincent's hotness.

"It's boring, but it will keep you alive." Vincent picks his shirt up from the floor to dress himself. He slides in each arm slowly, making the muscles that line Vincent's back to flex just before being covered by the shirt.

'Damn, he does have an awesome body yo. Kind of skinny but nice, very muscled.' Reno thinks to himself as he watches Vincent get dressed. "It sucks the power went out, some tv would be awesomme right now yo!"

"Even if we had power, there would be no television. We haven't had radio contact for a few weeks, and the television networks stopped broadcasting before that." Vincent explains. "You can read a book, or maybe borrow one of the children's Gameboys, since they run on batteries."

"Anything would be better than just sittin' here all day yo, waitin' for someone ta come down that I can talk to." Reno turns to his side and faces Vincent, smiling at him.

"I'll go see what I can find for you." Vincent heads up the elevator to find Marlene. She's now playing inside with Denzel, and Red is laying on the floor next to the children. "Marlene and Denzel." Vincent grabs the attention of the children. "Do any of you have a Game boy I can borrow?"

Denzel looks up from playing with Red. "Um..I have a Game boy Color, why Mr. Vincent?"

"I was going to let Reno use it, that's if you're alright with that." Vincent crouches down next to Denzel. "Reno is not able to do much of anything, and he's a little bored."

"Yeah, sure I guess. He did make that soup for me and he is nice.. I'll go get it now and a game!" Denzel gets up and walks to his room, still not feeling up to running, after a few minutes he comes down with a green Game Boy. "I already put a game in there for him."

"Thank you. I'm sure Reno will appreciate your kindness. Whenever you want it back, all you have to do is ask." Vincent gently pats Denzel on the shoulder and rides the elevator down to the basement, the Game Boy Color in hand.

Reno hums to himself as he traces designs on the mattress, he smiles as he looks up at the sight of Vincent. "Welcome back yo!"

"I was able to get something for you to do." Vincent hands the green Game Boy Color over to Reno. "Denzel is letting you borrow it, for now."

Reno can't help but smile softly as he takes the Game Boy. "Thank him for me yo, that was really nice. Do..ya wanna take your nap before your shift, I'll be quiet." Reno points to the bed beside him.

"Yes, my shift starts in only a few hours, but Red is going to be with me tonight. Rest sounds very...appealing right now." Vincent lies down quietly on the mattress, hardly making a sound. Vincent's body almost seems to float, in Reno's perception.

'He's like weight less, our old joke 'bout him bein' a vampire seems so true yo.' Reno thinks to himself, he looks over at Vincent. "So I'll be here alone tanight yo."

"Unfortunately, but, because of the cultists threatening us, and causing trouble, we need more than one guard at night." Vincent adjusts his body in a more comfortable position, his back cracks from the sudden feeling of relief from lying down.

"Yeah, I understand yo.. Now you need to rest, I..I'll be quiet, have good dreams." Reno turns the Game Boy on and turns the volume off so it won't bother Vincent, he begins his game.

"I need to..." Vincent falls asleep before he can finish his sentence. His breathing slows and becomes even, proving that Vincent has fallen into a deep sleep.

Reno smiles over at Vincent's sleeping form, finding it very beautiful. 'He almost looks like Tseng like this; he looked the calmest when he was asleep as well.' After a few moments, Reno reaches out and carefully runs his fingers though Vincent's hair.

Vincent hums softly in his sleep. He feels comforting fingers running through his hair, almost feeling like it's a dream. Vincent licks his chapped lips while in deep slumber.

Reno smiles at Vincent, feeling like the old times. He continues to play with Vincent's hair as he plays the game with his other hand.

The sun sets and Vincent almost sleeps in too late from being tired. It's already a half an hour into Vincent's shift, so Reno tries to wake him up.

" 'ey Vincent, it's time ta get up yo. Your shift starts soon." Reno gently pushing Vincent's side, trying to wake him.

Vincent is stirred by Reno's voice and the pressure against his side. Vincent rubs his eyes and sits up with a stretch. "It's that time already..."

"Yeah, I'm sorry yo.. I should of woken you up earlier but you looked like ya needed rest." Reno pauses his games before pushing himself up.

"It's alright. I should have been awake. I'm sure Red XIII is waiting outside for me." Vincent fixes his shirt and wraps his tattered cape around his shoulders. "I'll be back in the morning..."

"Alright, I'll be here yo. Stay safe, both of you!" Reno calls out as Vincent head towards the elevator, wishing he could go up and help them as well.

Vincent nods at Reno, and he meets Red outside. The two climb up to the roof to keep watch over the camp.

Reno sighs as Vincent leaves; he turns off the Game Boy and lies down, pulling Vincent's pillow over closer and sniffing it, breathing in Vincent's scent. "Please stay safe yo.."

Vincent and Red take their positions on the roof. "Have you seen anything out there today?" Vincent says to Red as he looks out over the horizon. He watches the eerily peaceful sunset.

"Nothing so far, a few walkers further down the street but they never made it down this way... How were you and Reno?" Red asks with mischief in his eyes.

"What do you mean?" Vincent wonders what Reno has said to Red. "What has he been telling you?" Vincent sits against a large storage barrel kept on the roof to gather rain water.

"Nothing really, he believes that I am crazy. But I notice you treat him differently, my friend." Red sits down next to Vincent.

"It's not something I consciously do." Vincent rolls his shoulders against the barrel. "Reno and the Turks are not our enemies anymore. There are bigger things to worry about."

"I know, he is actually nice, a little crude sometimes but with how he grew up it makes sense. His scent is nice, I am sure you have noticed."

"Scent? I try not to think about it." Vincent goes on to explain. "I don't want that side of me to take over my senses."

"Well, it is very nice. If I was one of your kind, I could not stay away from that man. You'll see when that side of you comes out. He's great with the children; he was all they talked about yesterday." Red lifts up a paw and begins to lick it clean.

"What are you insinuating, Red XIII?" Vincent asks his friend with curiosity. Vincent sighs as he remembers feeling fingers in his hair while sleeping. "You know, I think I dreampt of someone running their fingers through my hair while I was sleeping."

"Oh nothing, nothing at all... Just..maybe the both of you could help eachother heal from their pasted loved ones.. I have never seen you with anyone since the day I met you, Vincent. That is not healthy. " Red smiles at the thought of Reno touching Vincent's hair. "Must of been some dream."

"Perhaps when the time is right...That time is not now." The sky becomes completely dark, now that the sun has disappeared beyond the horizon. Without the smog and lights of civilization, every star can be seen in the sky, strangely beautiful.

"Why not now, my friend? I know this is a bad time we are in but that is when we need others the most." Red looks up at the stars as well, enjoying the view.

"I don't want to impose on Reno's memory of Tseng. That wound is too fresh, it hasn't even had the chance to scab over."

"Then just be there for him, Vincent.. He still does not have many friends here and is closest to you, he smiles the brightest when you walk in the room. You will help him heal."

Vincent reaches into his back pocket and flips open a pack of cigarettes. Vincent places a cigarette gracefully into his mouth and lights it with a match. "As a friend..."

"For now, maybe..." Red says with a chuckle, knowing soon they will be together. '

"Let it be what it will be." Vincent twirls the lit cigarette in his fingers, knocking the ashes off in the process. Vincent and Red's ears catch the distinct sound of a car driving on the pot hole filled roads of the slums. Vincent looks over the edge of the roof and spots a car slowing down to a stop in front of the barricade. "That's a Shinra Company car, isn't it?" Vincent talks to himself in observation.

"Hmm, it is.. But there is no more Shinra... You better ready your gun, my friend." Red stands on all four, ready to attack.

"I already have it loaded." Vincent watches the car doors open through the sight on his rifle. Three figures get out of the car, two men, and one woman. One of the men has distinctly shaven their head. Vincent lowers the rifle so he can watch the group without looking through his weapon's sight. "It's Rude...Reeve, and Elena."

"Hmm, They must be here for a truce and help. I wonder if they know that Reno is here?" Red calms down, not feeling a threat from them.

"We'll have to go down there and see what they want." Vincent climbs to the edge of the roof and uses an awning to jump down and over the fence. Red follows Reno closely and cautiously. Vincent greets the remaining members of the Turks, as he has already built a rapport with Reeve. Most of the members of Avalanche don't see Reeve as an enemy now, as he has tried to make the slums a better place to live and has shown a real concern for the Midgar citizens. "Reeve, it's been awhile." As soon as Vincent is within earshot of the car, a deep pounding can be heard from the Trunk. "Hey, I can hardly breathe in here! Is that you, Vincent?" The irritatingly familiar voice calls out from the trunk. Reeve smiles with a chuckle. "I came here to drop off this 'package'."

"You can keep the little brat, Reeve." Red says jokingly. He smiles up at their old friend. "I see you have company as well?"

Vincent and Reeve both look over at Elena and Rude. Rude seems to have a bandage across his right eyebrow and an abrasion over his left cheek bone, causing Rude's sunglasses not to fit perfectly over his eyes. Reeve shrugs his shoulders. "I found Reeve a couple of blocks from the Headquarters, and Elena was with me from the begining, cleaning up after Hojo's mistakes." Vincent nods, knowing the story Reeve is telling is true. "I wasn't expecting any of you to visit here. If you must know, Reno is inside the bar, and he's safe." Vincent reassures the Turks, as he can imagine that they have been worried about Reno.

Rude looks up at the mention of Reno's name. "Reno? He's..he's alive? Really, he's alright in there? What about Tseng?" Red looks over at Vincent sadly. "Your..friend Tseng did not make it, I am afraid.." Rude just looked down, not showing any emotion.

"Tseng's gone?" Elena cries out softly. She slides down against the car with a heavy heart. She wipes the tears from her cheeks. Reeve comforts his two friends. "Now, Tseng wouldn't want us to cry like this over him." Reeve pats Elena on the shoulder. Elena sniffs to put a stop to her sobs. "But, you said Reno's in there, right?" Elena asks with hope. Vincent nods. "Reno is safe. I can bring him out here if you want to see him. I know he would want to see all of you."

"Yes, if you wouldn't mind.." Rude asks, his voice thick with emotion. "Oh yes, we..we thought he was..Could you please bring him out?" Elena asks, her eyes still filled with tears.

"I'll fetch Reno, wait right here." Vincent easily hops the gate with strength. He quietly opens the front door so he won't wake up anyone and rides the elevator to the basement. "Reno, are you awake?" Vincent asks as he walks towards Reno.

"Mmmhh, Vincent? W-what's wrong yo?" Reno wakes up and rubs his eyes as he stretches.

"Nothing is wrong, actually. Listen." Vincent sits on the mattress next to Reno. "The rest of your friends are alive, and are waiting outside for you."

"Huh? If...this is some kind of trick, I'll kick your ass yo!" Reno stared into Vincent's eyes, trying to see if he's telling the truth or not.

"It's not a trick. They're really outside, waiting for you." Vincent tries to convince Reno that he's not telling a story. "I'm not someone who would find 'tricks' like this amusing."

After a minute of staring, Reno believes Vincent and does his best to hurry and stand up, forgetting about his broken foot he quickly makes his way to the jukebox but end up falling,

"Don't hurt youself now." Vincent keeps Reno from falling on his ass by catching Reno under the arms. Once Reno is steady on his feet, Vincent reassures Reno that he is telling the truth. "They're going to be very happy to see you." Almost as the two men step outside, a voice calls out from behind them. "Who's going to be happy to see Reno?" It's Tifa, and she was cleaning the kitchen, out of Vincent's sight when he came in. "Why are you taking Reno outside, and at night?" Tifa asks with a wooden spoon in her hand. She taps the spoon on the counter. Vincent knows he must be honest with Tifa to keep the group's trust. "The remaining Turks are outside. I think Reeve wanted to drop off a new Cait Sith for us, and I happened to tell them Reno was here. They wanted to see him."

"That's great! Don't keep them outside, Vincent! Have them come in and have a drink; you know it's not safe out there! Plus, Reno needs to rest, he shouldn't be walking all the way out there." "But I'm fine, Tifa! I can make.." Reno was cut off by Tifa's tapping the spoon on the counter again. "You are going to sit down and wait, or am I going to have to bring out the hand cuffs?" "Ohhh, feisty Tif, I didn't know ya wanted me that way yo!" Reno said with a grin.

Vincent enjoys the lighthearted banter between Reno and Tifa. He walks outside to the gate and unlocks the front area. He opens the gate for the Turks. "Tifa said it's alright that you come inside. Reno is inside, I promise." Elena and Rude rush the front gate, and Reeve unlocks the trunk. "I'm sure you already guessed what the package is?" Red XIII, who has waited outside patiently chimes in. "Of course, I'd know that voice from anywhere." Reeve lets a new Cait Sith out of the trunk, and a white, fluffy mog hops out of the trunk, followed by a small black cat. Cait Sith gasps for air. "I've been in that trunk for three days! My stuffing was burning up!"

Rude quickly runs past the gate, leaving Elena behind him. He needs to see his partner for himself, to make sure he is truely still alive. He throws the door open, and freezes at the sight before him.

Reno was telling Tifa a joke, they were in the middle of laughing when the door flies open, Reno stops in shock. " R-rude? Is...is that really you yo?"

Elena runs in shortly after Rude, followed by Vincent and Red. Cait Sith then hops inside, just in front of Reeve. Rude can hardly believe his eyes, that his old partner is alive. "Yeah. Hell yeah..." Rude can hardly contain himself, and he sits down next to his partner and gives him a brotherly hug. Elena is happy to see Reno too, and she ruffles Reno's hair, which she knows gets on Reno's nerves.

Reno holds on tightly to Rude, tears fill his eyes as he can't believe the man he thought of as a brother is truly alive. "I missed ya so much yo, I was so worried when the floor blew up!" Reno turns and smiles at Elena, hugging her as well. " Little El', I thought we lost ya!" Reno doesn't even matter she messed up his hair, his heart feels like exploding from happiness.

"Look at this." Cait Sith stands in front of the group. "It's like old times again, like a happy family!" While everyone is greeting each other, Tifa brings out a case of beer for everyone to drink. "Help yourselves, everyone. I'm sure you're thirsty. It's warm beer, but it still feels good going down." Vincent helps Tifa open the case of beer and to pass it out.

Reno grabs two beers and hands one to Rude, moving his chair closer to his partner, not wanting to lose him again and enjoy his warmth. "Here ya are, partner! Now tell me everything, how did you end up with Reeve yo?"

Rude adjusts his sunglasses to keep them from falling off. "After I blew up the floor, I was knocked out for awhile. I got scraped up, but nothing else. Reeve found me just outside the HQ. I was going to try to hike over to the Wall Market, hopefully to find you."

"I...was far from there yo. But when I finally made it back, I kept lookin' for you yo! I thought the worst yo, I wish we didn't leave ya!" Reno takes a drink of the beer, wiping his lips. "I'm...g-guessin' they told ya 'bout Tseng yo.."

Rude and Elena both sigh in sadness. Rude replies. "Yes, Red told me he didn't make it." Elena places her hand on Reno's shoulder. "You don't have to tell us what happened yet. Tell us when you're ready..."

"H-he...he got bitten.. I d-don't know when but it happened, he..w-wanted me ta-ta shoot him before it took over yo... I...I d-did as he asked, he died in m-my arms.." Tears now stream down Reno face as he talks about it.

Rude puts his head down and Elena grasps her forehead. Reeve sits down across from Reno to comfort him. "You did the right thing." Reeve doesn't want Reno to be upset over Tseng's death. "You did an honorable thing, Reno."

"I-it was what he wanted yo... To s-still be him, but I still fuckin' miss him so much. B-but they've helped me here, Tifa and Red treat me like family." Reno can't help but look over at Vincent, quickly looking away when their eyes met.

'Why did Reno look at me like that?' Vincent wonders while counting the cracks in the floor. It seems that Tifa, Red, Cait Sith and the Turks notice Reno's little glance at Vincent. Red XIII already knows what Reno thinks about Vincent, but Tifa is a little confused, and Cait Sith is completely lost. However, the Turks all know Reno's expressions, and they seem to conclude that Reno feels something for Vincent, although they don't mention it. Rude only gives Reno a small, knowing smirk.

Reno pouts at Rude's smirk and kicks him in the shins, leaning over to whisper in his ear. "I still remember a certain dream you had 'bout a certain big breasted bartender in this room yo."

"Hey." Rude whispers back. "Tifa is a real woman. There's more to her than...that." Tifa looks over at the whispering men. "I know you're talking about me." Rude blushes. "..."

Reno laughs at Rude's blush and grins at him. "Only good things, my dearest!" Reno takes another sip. "I still love makin' ya embarrassed, as much as I did when we first got pair tagether yo!"

Elena chuckles, knowing of Rude's secret crush on Tifa. "They're just being men, Tifa. Don't pay them any attention." Tifa smiles. "Oh, I've already learned to tune it out a very long time ago." The group laughs together. Red XIII lays down against Cait Sith's giant mog, something that he has missed about his old friend.

Reno finishes his beer and let's out a belch, blushing lightly at its loudness. "Sorry yo." Rude shakes his head at his partner's antics; he pats Reno on the shoulder. "You're still the same, Reno." Elena rolls her eyes at Reno, used to it by now. "Yep, still as gross as ever!"

Vincent quietly interrupts the group conversation. "Excuse me. Red and I should return to the roof. We need to finish our shift."

"I should be leaving as well, I will come with you, Vincent. Elena, Rude, do you still wish to come with me?' Reeve asks as he stands up walking next to Vincent. "I..would like to stay here, if that's alright with all of you.." Rude asks, looking around, not wanting to leave Reno after he just found him.

Vincent nods, giving Rude the approval to stay. Tifa agrees that Rude should stay, at least until Reno has recovered. Elena looks to Rude, then at Reeve. She has a tough decision to make. Should she go with Reeve, or stay with Rude and Reno? "I'm glad you're safe Reno, but I can't leave Reeve alone either. I'm staying with you, Reeve."

"It's alright, El' I understand yo. Now you better protect my girl, Reeve!" Reno says with a smirk, he leans against Rude, still tired. "Oh Reno! I can take care of myself!"

"Since you're going to stay here, Rude, I'll give you some supplies. I can't ask you to keep Rude here without giving you something. Elena, help me bring in some supplies from the car." Reeve takes Elena outside, and Vincent and Red escort the pair out to the car. Once Vincent is outside, Tifa returns to the back of the kitchen to make room for anything Reeve brings in.

Reno sighs as he rests his head against his partner's large chest, feeling comforted by Rude's scent and warmth. "I really missed ya, partner."

"Hey, I missed you too. I really thought you were a dead man." Rude drinks his beer.

"I almost was yo, I was on the run for a week after...you know. I ended up breakin' my foot and losin' all my weapons, if Vincent didn't find me I would be dead yo." Reno watches as Reeve beings in a box of supplies.

Elena brings in several gallon jugs of water and a large bag of beef jerky. The pair head outside again to bring in more supplies. Rude nudges Reno's shoulder. "Is that why you like him?"

A blush covers Reno's face, he elbow's Rude in the side. "Hey!...I'm not ready for..someone else yet.. But I do like him, he's the nicest to me here yo..He defended me when the other wanted me back out on the street. Well, other than Tifa and Red XIII."

"I was just curious." Rude knows what Reno is saying won't last for long. He knows that Reno is very needy, and that Reno craves attention from lovers. Reeve and Elena bring in another load of supplies, mostly in sealed boxes. Rude helps to open the boxes, just to see what is inside. Not even he knows what the boxes contain. Cait Sith snickers and surprises Reno by sitting next to him. "I heard everything." Cait Sith chuckles.

"And if ya say anything, there'll be a headless cat yo." Reno gives Cait Sith a cold look, showing he mean business.

"Hey, I won't say anything! Everybody has secrets." Cait Sith chuckles. "I was just surprised that you just started talking about it while I was still standing there." Rude shakes his head at Reno's reaction. "He wasn't a spy for nothing." Rude comments.

"Doesn't mean I still won't shave a pussy-cat yo." Reno mumbles with a pout, he lets out a yawn. "Reno, you can go back to sleep. We want you to feel better and heal." Tifa pats Reno's shoulders, smiling at him. "You can show Rude where to sleep."

"Doesn't mean I still won't shave a pussy-cat yo." Reno mumbles with a pout, he lets out a yawn. Tifa comes out of the kitchen to help Rude. "Reno, you can go back to sleep. We want you to feel better and heal." Tifa pats Reno's shoulders, smiling at him. "You can show Rude where to sleep."

"Is the basement free?" Cait Sith asks Tifa. Elena and Reeve come inside one last time to say their goodbyes to everyone.

"Not for you yo, you can sleep upstairs!" Reno pouts, still not liking that his private chat with Rude was spied on. He carefully stands up and hobbles over to Elena to say goodbye, giving her a hug. "I'll miss ya, lil' El'."

"I'm not little anymore, Reno. You better take care of yourself. I'll make Reeve come by to visit, I promise."

"I always take care of myself yo! Plus I have Rudey here ta watch me." Reno gives her a kiss on the cheek before letting her go, he waves to her and Reeve as they leave.

Cait Sith hops back into the kitchen to help Tifa. "You guys can go to bed. I can help Tifa put everything else away." Cait Sith sees that one of the boxes contain bagged and canned sardines and tuna. "I'm a stuffed cat, but a cat nonetheless, and I love fish." The little black cat smacks his lips while happily taking the preserved fish in the kitchen. Reno and Rude move to the basement.

"Night Tif'!" Reno enters the code to the elevator and rides down it down with Rude. " Welcome to where I get to spend almost all of my time yo." Reno slowly hobbles over to a mattress and lies down, putting his foot up on the little hill he's made out of his jacket.

Rude slowly shakes his head in approval with his arms crossed. "Not bad, not bad." Rude checks out the furniture, liking that there's enough space for him to find a comfortable place to sleep. Rude sits down on a bench stretches his legs out. "It's better than being stuck in a car."

"Both Vincent and you go for the benches, when there's mattresses free yo!" Reno shakes his head; he grabs his bottle of pills and takes two out, quickly swallowing them.

"I want to give you room to spread out. You're the one with the broken foot." Rude folds his arms behind his head and crosses his ankles. He lets out a slight sigh of relief.

"You know as well as anyone that I don't take up much room yo, I like to curl up mostly." Reno turns on his side to face Rude, waiting for the drugs to kick in. "Sooooo, I think Tifa likes youuuu yo!"

Rude blushes. "Don't push it, Reno. I think she's cute, but..." Rude shrugs his shoulders. "...Nevermind."

"But what yo? I just want my partner happy and I've known how long you've had a crush on her. We're not enemies now, it's the perfect time."

"I don't want to ruin it. I'll give her time to come to me." Rude says in a relaxed manner. He gets comfortable on the bench, ready for some sleep. "I'm too tired to think of that right now."

"Alright, but if it takes to long I'm lockin' both of ya in a room tagether yo." Reno says with a tired grin. "Ya sure yo don't wanna lay down here, it's better than that."

"I'm sure. You'll need that room for when Vincent comes back." Rude teases Reno, he knows his partner has a fondess for the red cloaked man.

"Shut up or I'll bitch slap ya yo!" Reno sticks his tongue out at Rude.

"Oh, you know I'm telling you the truth." Rude says with a yawn. "Go to sleep, partner. You look as tired as I do." Rude turns on his side, facing the wall. His lips smack softly while the rest of his body relaxes. "Good night, Reno."


	5. Chapter 5

At daybreak, Vincent and Red return to the basement. Vincent wipes his eyes and nose before lying down on the mattress, next to Reno. The space on the bench is taken up by Rude. "It seemed to be fairly calm last night, Red."

Reno turns at Vincent's voice and cuddles up to his body for warm, his calm of the horror's outside. Red chuckles softly and says, "Yes, it was. But now it seems you have another job as a heater."

"Ah." Vincent shifts on the mattress. "I seem to be his radiator."

"You must admit he is rather cute like this, he is like a young pup in my tribe." Red smiles at Vincent as Reno follow after the moving warmth in his sleep.

"Cute? Perhaps that's exaggerating a little bit?" Vincent sits up abruptly. He gradually unfastens his red, tattered cape.

Reno frowns in his sleep, making a noise of unhappiness. He curls up into a tight ball on the floor, trying to stay warm.

"What are you doing, Vincent?" Red asks, looking down at Reno with a bit of sadness in his eyes. Knowing he's showing his feeling for Vincent in his sleep.

"I'm going to cover him. It is cold down here, but we're used to it." Vincent throws his cape over Reno's sleeping form. The red fabric is surprisingly heavy from wear and the lack of being washed. It warms Reno to the core.

Reno smiles in his sleep as he nuzzles into the cape now thrown on him, breathing in Vincent's scent.

"It would seem he enjoys your scent, it comforts him." Red says with a knowing grin, looking at Vincent. "That was very nice, Vincent, I did notice him shivering some nights."

"Nice...Do you not think I'm capable of being 'nice'?" Vincent watches Reno sleep, and he resists the urge to touch and comfort Reno.

"No, I know you do very nice things to those you care for." Red teases Vincent as he licks his paws.

Vincent threads his fingers through Reno's hair instinctively. He doesn't realize what his fingers are doing. "I'm glad he's sleeping."

"He must be tired to not of waken up yet. He clearly enjoys your touches." Red motions to Reno's smile in his sleep, him moving closer to Vincent.

"I'll let him be." Vincent lies back down next to Reno. "I don't want to disturb him, more than I already have."

Reno nuzzles his face into Vincent's chest, sighing as he falls deeper into his dream. "I do not think he will let you be, Vincent." Red says with a chuckle as he readies himself to sleep.

Vincent clears his throat, feeling slightly uncomfortable. Is he ready? And more importantly, is Reno ready? "That may be, but I don't think Reno understands. He just lost Tseng. I'm not going to replace him."

"I think right now, he just wants comfort, he seems like someone who is use to alot of touching." Red comments, knowing Vincent has not felt the touch of someone else in awhile.

"So I've noticed." Vincent yawns shallowly. "And when he wakes up, he'll apologize profusely for hanging all over me."

"He'll be blushing for awhile, that is for sure." Red curls up at Vincent's feet, his eyes already closed.

Vincent nods while closing his eyes. He's exhausted from guarding the bar all night, and he doesn't care that Reno is lying almost entirely on top of him. Vincent just wants to get some sleep.

An hour later, Reno yawns loudly as he wakes up on something a bit harder than the mattress, he slowly opens his eyes and sees a black chest. 'Oh god, I slept on top of him yo!' Reno thought to himself. He quickly pushes himself up and notices the red cape falling off of him. "He...covered me yo?"

Vincent quietly mumbles in his sleep. He feels weight lift off from his chest, and he turns to his side. Vincent coughs in his sleep, only as a way to devoid his body of any discomfort.

Reno feels bad, not wanting to disturb Vincent's sleep. "I'll say I'm sorry when he wakes up yo..."

Vincent moves in his sleep again, wondering where Reno's warmth has gone to. He rolls onto his back, his arm extended across the mattress with restful grace. Vincent's chapped lips part gently, and his hips twist at a slight, soft angle.

Reno takes Vincent's cape and gently covers him with it, smiling softly at the sight of Vincent asleep. He carefully brushes some of Vincent's hair from his face.

Vincent feels a presence above him, and his eyes open. He sees a hue of red before his eyes focus completely, and he looks directly up at Reno. Vincent knows Reno was touching his hair. "You're up already." Vincent's voice shocks Reno, and Reno jumps back in surprise.

"Ahh! Dude, don't scare me like that yo!" Reno pants, holding his chest."Sorry, I didn't mean ta wake ya, go back to sleep."

"I didn't mean to scare you." Vincent notices that he is now covered with his own cape. 'He returned the favor.' Vincent turns on his side, facing away from Reno. "I'm not going to replace him, Reno."

"I...I know that.. No one could replace him yo, Tseng was...well Tseng.. I don't know why I keep-keep doin' these things. But I'll try and control myself better."

"It's partially my fault. I allowed you to sleep on top of me, and I covered you with my cape. I did nothing to stop it." Vincent seems to be talking to himself, facing the wall while fixating on a crack in the paint.

"I...didn't even know what I was doin', I just noticed warmth yo." Reno runs his fingers though his hair to calm himself. "I...mean I do like ya, as a friend yo."

"I don't know what I'm doing either." Vincent admits to Reno. He knows he likes Reno as a friend, but Vincent feels something more, something that he hasn't felt in a long time. "I must sound insane right now."

"No, you don't sound insane yo..." Reno sighs. "I'm flattered actually." A blush covers Reno's face; he shyly looks down at Vincent.

"I...ah...Nevermind." Vincent shakes his head. He is confused on how he feels towards his friend, Reno. Vincent tries not to think about his feelings too hard, and he tries to go back to sleep.

Reno decides to let Vincent sleep and hobbles over to Rude and begins to poke him in the face and whispering. "Rude...Rudeyyyyyy."

"Mm...Huhm." Rude knows Reno is trying to wake him up. Rude smacks his lips and moistens them. "What's goin' on, Reno?"

"Something horrible, I'm bored yo. Vincent and Red are sleeping. Entertain meeeee." Reno puffs out his lower lip in a begging manner.

Rude rubs his eyes from under his sunglasses. "I thought for sure you'd sleep longer than me." Rude stretches his arms out. "Your cheeks are red, partner."

"We slept all night yo, and some of the mornin' I'm guessin'." Reno blushes even more, turning his face from Rude. "No, they're not!"

"Your face is redder than your hair." Rude knows Reno is hiding something that may be sensational.

"Nu uh!" Reno turns his face nose up, acting like a child to Rude.

"Shhh...You're going to wake up your sleeping 'friend'." Rude seems to know why Reno is blushing.

Reno quickly quiets down, not wanting to wake up Vincent again. "Well, stop teasin' me yo." Reno turns back towards Rude.

"I know something good happened. You don't have to hide it from your partner." For as long as Reno and Rude have known each other, Rude knows when something has Reno in a good mood.

"Curse you and your all knowing...ness!" Reno sighs and moves to whisper to Rude. "Vincent covered me with his cape last night yo.. And I guess I kind of...slept on top of him.."

Rude nods his head with a modest smile. "Oh, you were being a flirt." Rude whispers to his best friend.

"No, I wasn't! I... I was asleep, I didn't know what I was doin' yo!" Reno's body turns red with embarrassment. "The worst was this mornin', I covered him and..um..and brushed his hair from his face, he woke up."

"What do you think of him?" Rude asks Reno. The two whisper back and forth. "You already seem entranced by him, Reno."

"He's...really nice and sweet. As well as sexy as hell yo! But...I still love Tseng and miss him. I...I don't know what ta do, Rude." Reno groans, leans his head on Rude's stomach.

"I knew you'd tell the truth eventually." Rude pats Reno on the shoulder. "You'll always miss Tseng. We'll all miss him." Rude's stomach rumbles against Reno's cheek. "Do you think he likes you, Reno?"

"I think so, but he's confused 'bout how he feels yo. I'm gonna let him figure it out." Reno can't help but chuckle at his partner's stomach. "Why don't we go upstairs and get some grub yo."

"Yeah, I am in the mood for coffee. I've been able to smell it ever since you woke me up." Rude has a craving for the potential for real breakfast food.

"You and your coffee yo, I'm sure Tif' won't mind givin' ya a hot cup." Reno winks at Rude, a grin on his face.

"Damn." Rude hunches forward, with his hands on his knees. "You don't quit, do you?" Rude teases his partner. Rude cleans his sunglasses and checks on the contusion over his brow.

"Never have and never will yo!" Reno pecks Rude on the forehead, messing up his sunglasses again. He pushes himself up onto his foot and heads to the elevator.

The two men go upstairs for breakfast. Cloud and Tifa are already awake. At the sight of Rude, Cloud is instantly angered by his presence. Tifa crosses her arms and she glares at Cloud.

"Don't say anything, Cloud." Tifa warns Cloud.

"Sure, we already have one Turk, why not two..." Cloud mumbles. "Love ya too, Cloudy." Reno says to Cloud with a smirk before he turns to Tifa. " Why, don't ya look beautiful this mornin', Tif'!"

Tifa exhales deeply to calm down. "Thank you, Reno. What can I get for you boys? We have applesauce, hot tea and coffee."

"I'll have applesauce and tea yo!" Reno smiles and sits down on one of the barstools. "I'll take coffee and applesauce..." Rude says as he sits down as well, pushing his glasses back up.

Tifa gives Reno the tea pot, filled with hot water and a tea bag on the side. She gives Reno and Rude matching white mugs, along with the coffee pot. "Your breakfast will be up in a moment." Tifa smiles at Reno and Rude.

"Mmmmmm, I love tea yo!" Reno smells the pot of tea and hums happily, it reminding him of Tseng, "Thank you, Tifa." Rude says with a small smile, before shaking his head at his partner.

Tifa returns with two plates of applesauce, garnished with canned sweet cherries, cinnamon and silverware. "Here you are, guys. I hope it tastes good." Tifa still retains her routine waitress and server role, even though she's only serving friends.

"Thanks yo!" Reno says hungrily, licking his lips at the sight. He happily digs in. "It looks wonderful, thank you." Rude says as he takes out his silver wear and begins to eat.

"I wish I could say it's fresh, but we do what we can." Tifa sits across from the men at the bar. She whispers at the men in a soft voice. "Don't pay Cloud any mind. He's just stressed."

"It's perfect, during these times you cannot be picky." Rude says after a bite, wiping his mouth with a napkin. "It tastes amazin' yo! When you're a slum rat, any food is good food. And I never pay Chocobo head much mind." Reno says with a grin.

"I do agree with him, though. We don't have a lot of food to keep feeding everyone for long. That's what he's worried about...And finding fuel for the generator so we can cook the food we have." Tifa rests her elbow on the counter, her hand cradles her head.

"I wish I coulda brought you food yo.. But I was on the run the whole time..." Reno says with a sigh, he quickly finishes his meal. Rude pats Reno on the back. "It's not your fault, partner."

"Reeve and Elena did bring some food last night. We'll be alright for now. We can always find more places to loot."

Tifa knows the group hasn't searched many of the sectors as of yet. There's a possibility of supplies yet to be found.

"I just wish I was more help, but the most I can do is hobble around the place yo." Reno looks down.

"You've helped us, more than you think." Tifa reassures Reno. "You just need to worry about getting better, and resting that foot."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. I hear that from Vincent all the time yo. If I'm not on that damn mattress down stairs, he gets his panties in a twist yo." Reno huffs to Tifa before drinking some of his tea.

Rude chokes on his coffee. The thought of Vincent in 'panties' stuns him and Tifa laughs at the image of Vincent in panties as well.

"What yo? Was it something I said?" Reno pats Rude on the back. "Ya gonna live, partner? It'd be really sad if you died by coffee."

Rude coughs. "Pan...ties..." Rude manages to get out while coughing and clearing his throat. Tifa pats Rude on the back to keep him from choking.

"Really Rude, ya should be used to me by now yo!" Reno smiles at Tifa while he rubs his partner's back. "It looks like he can still get surprised by you." Tifa says with laughter in her voice.

"You caught me that time." Rude clears his throat. "I didn't expect that from you." Rude sips on his coffee to help with washing the rest down.

"You always have ta stay on your toes, Rudey!" Reno grins like an idiot, finishing off the rest off his tea. " Well, my stomach is very happy all thanks to you, Tifa!"

"Any time, you guys." Tifa smiles before turning to Rude. "Now, you're going to have to do something around here to earn your stay. No one here earns a free meal without working it off." Tifa hums softly as she tries to come up with something Rude can do.

"Of course, I will do anything you need me to do." Rude uses the napkin to wipe his mouth of the coffee and stands up from the stool. "I...guess I'll go back down to my mattress yo." Reno pushes himself up off the bar onto his good foot.

Tifa comes up with a suggestion to have Rude help out everyone. "Rude, are you able to help build up the fence outside?"

"Yes, of course. I am not injured and after a night's sleep, I feel ready to work." Rude says with a small smirk." I'll see ya in a bit, partner! Reno hobbles towards the elevator.

Reno returns to the basement where Vincent is still sound asleep. Reno sincerely wants to help out somewhere, but he knows that if Vincent wakes up finds him not resting, he will be forced to return to the basement.

'I guess I can lie down again and play that Gameboy thing.' Reno thinks to himself as he lies down next to Vincent, grabbing the Gameboy and turning the volume down the lowest it goes.

Reno plays the gameboy for a little over an hour before becoming bored. Reno looks over at Vincent, and wishes Vincent didn't have to work so hard at night.

'He takes on too much, why? He doesn't have to push himself so hard yo. I'd like to talk with him.' Reno turns off the Gameboy and sets it aside before turning on his side and looking towards Vincent.

Vincent breathes heavily in his sleep, and lets out a soft snore. Reno jumps when he hears the elevator moving. Cid descends to the basement and smirks with a cigar in his mouth. "I've been looking for ya', Turk!" Cid notices how close Reno is lying next to Vincent. "The hell is goin' on?"

"Nothin' I was layin' down for a nap yo! And he's warm." Reno turns away from Vincent and pushes himself up. "What ya need, old man?"

"I want you ta get your ass up." Cid crosses his arms. "There's shit that needs to be done outside."

"Fine yo, but if Vincent yells at me, I'm gonna blame you!" Reno pushes himself up, hobbling over to Cid. "Now what do ya want me ta do?"

Cid and Reno use the elevator to go upstairs. "The inside of the van needs to be gutted. I'm gonna put some new seats in that fucker."

" The Don's van right yo?" Reno hold on to the jukebox to keep himself steady, trying to stay off his bad foot.

"Yeah. Cockroaches and bugs have already started to eat up the seats. And it fuckin' stinks in there." Cid explains to Reno.

"I imagine yo, well let's get to it." Reno hobbles to wear he knows the van is, he hopes he can be helpful.

Cid opens the doors to the van so he and Reno can get to work. Cid plugs his nose at the smell. "Well god damn!" Cid kneels next to the van with a wrench and reaches under the seat to loosen the bolts.

Reno, used to living in the slums and all the smells, doesn't mind the smell. He takes a tool and lays down, beginning to loosen some bolts.

"Smells like shit." Cid mumbles to himself while lifting the seat gradually as each bolt is removed. "I wouldn't be surprised if something died in here."

"Everything has happened in this van yo." Reno shakes away the memories of this van; he begins to hum childhood songs his mother would sing to him.

"You don't have to talk about it. I don't wanna hear the details." Once the seat is completely disconnected, Cid picks the seat up and tosses it across the alley. "Fuck it!" Cid grunts.

"Good, didn't really wanna tell them yo." Reno starts working on the other seat, loosening the bolts.

"This floor is beyond disgusting." Cid shakes his head at the sight of how dirty the floor is. "Do you care what kind of seats we put in?"

"You can burn this van for all I care, I put the Don far behind me yo. But if ya want it for supplies, maybe like one or two seat so you have more room for the supplies." Reno moves to get the other bolts.

"Naw, we can't burn it. It attracts those fuckers." Cid tilts his head towards a lone zombie outside the fence. Cid lights a cigarette and searches the trashed vehicles inside the fence for some decent seats.

"I know, but it'd still be fun yo.. Perfect thing for this hunk of junk." Reno finishes with the last chair and manages to throw it out, panting as he sits up and waits for Cid.

"Maybe fuckin' later we can burn it. Blow it up with a stick of dynamite!" Cid finds an older Honda Civic hatchback with suitable seats to put in the van. "Hey, look at this old breadbox."

Reno pushes himself out of the van and makes his way towards Cid and looks at the seats. "Those would work perfect yo." He says with a smile.

"It's got the bench seats in the back if we need them. The front seats are alright." Cid gets to work at removing the Honda's front seats. "Hey, Turk!" The cigarette rolls in Cid's mouth and a large pile of ashes fall on the Honda's floor. "What the hell were you doing with Vincent earlier?"

"I told ya, I was sleepin' and it's cold down there so I huddle ta the warmest thing next ta me yo." Reno say, protecting himself from the group knowing how he feels about Vincent, which he's not even sure how he feels.

Cid knows what he saw, so he lets it go for the time being. Cid tosses his cigarette to the side and takes out the first seat.

Reno sighs, hoping Cid took his lie. He grabs the taken out seat and drags it to back to the van, sweat dripping from his forehead when he gets there. "Are we takin' out the carpets yo?"

Cid scratches his forehead. "Naw, not right now. I think it can be cleaned, and I don't think we'll be able to find another carpet to fit." Cid snaps one of the new seats in. He secures the seat with washers, nuts, and bolts.

'Thank god! My foot is killin' me yo!' Reno thinks to himself as hobbles back to the open side door and leans against it, putting all his weight on his good foot. "Or just put a blanket down on top of it yo, that'd work."

Cid can tell Reno's foot is causing pain. "Yeah, no matter what we do, I don't think we'd be able to get rid of the smell!" Cid jerks the new seat around to make sure it doesn't move. "That'll do it. Go inside and rest. You won't be any use to us if you stay on your feet."

"Ya a pansy, old man! This isn't as bad as those dead fuckers out there yo!" Reno teases Cid with a tired grin, he nods. "I swear, ya'll want me ta be chained ta that mattress!" He turns and heads inside, taking a pill as he enters. 'I need to limit these, I'm gettin' low.'

"Yeah, but this thing has a...'special' stench!" Cid shouts at Reno before gathering mucous in his throat. He spits on the ground.

'I guess I'm just used ta that scent.' Reno shakes his head as he enters, waving to Tifa before entering the code to the elevator and riding it down. He slowly makes his way over to his spot next to the sleeping Vincent.

Vincent hears the elevator moving. He coughs in his sleep and hums as he feels heavy footsteps coming towards him. Vincent opens his eyes briefly and sees Reno trying to lay down.

"Fuck me..." Reno whispers to himself as he tries to get down on his one leg, not bumping his other at all. He ends up just falling onto the mattress, he hisses in pain as he lifts his foot up onto the mound he made out of his jacket.

"Are you alright?" Vincent mumbles, still half asleep.

"No, not really yo. My foot hurts like hell, but I think I won Cid over a bit!" Reno sighs as he tries to relax.

"I see. He's not so bad. All you have to do is earn everyone's trust. It may take awhile, but keep working. Everyone will come around eventually."

"That's easier said than done yo. It's hard when ya can barely move, I wanna help but everyone sends me down here!" Reno turns his head to look at Vincent. "Chocobo-head is gonna be the hardest, he hates me."

"He will be the most difficult to win over. I believe he's more concerned with how we're going to feed everyone as time goes by. We can't stay here forever, that is a fact."

"Once I'm healed, I'd help yo! I'm good at survivin', I can always find food and water somehow." Reno tries to think of where there could be a store of food. "I'm sure Shinra has some, but it's over run with those things."

"That would be a last resort. The Shinra building is too far, and it would be a lot of work. Imagine having to search all seventy floors, or whatever is left of it. It would take all of us, and no one would be able to watch the children."

"True, sorry that's just the first thing that popped into my mind. I have alot of can goods at home but that's near Shinra as well, maybe once I'm healed, Rude and I could head up there. I..I would store food incase something happened, Tseng hated anything from a can, so I had alot. Guess it comes from not havin' food most of my life." Reno thinks aloud.

"You don't have to apologize for having an idea. Like I said...It would be a last resort." Vincent yawns and rubs his eyes. "The food stores your friends brought helped."

"That's good. I don't eat much so I'll try not ta make much of a dent inta it." Reno lets out a yawn as well and stretches out like a cat, making his shirt lift a bit.

Vincent takes a small glance at Reno's stomach. "Don't worry about how much or how little you eat. Eat when you can and what you can. You need to keep your strength up."

"I just feel like a leech, ya know? I don't want ta take more then I earn yo." Reno nuzzles into the pillow, the pill starting to kick in. "I just wish I had a potion!"

Vincent turns onto his back. "Are the pills helping at least?" Vincent wishes they had a stock of potions. "We'll see what we can do about the potion situation."

"Yeah, they help but I'm gonna have ta start limitin' them yo. I should of taken a few potions from my office but we were in such a hurry, I didn't think." Reno plays with the edge of his pillow. "Don't go out of your way for me yo."

"We'll need them either way. If someone becomes injured outside, we'll need something to heal them fast." Vincent stretches his arms out. He has decided he had enough sleep.

"True, ya gettin' up? I'm sorry I woke ya. I tried ta be quiet, but it's hard when ya have a bum foot." Reno yawns loudly again.

"I'm getting up. It will soon be nightfall, and someone needs to watch the fort." Vincent moves to the bench to check Cerberus and Death Penalty. He carefully cleans and loads each gun, making the chambers spin rythmatically.

"Yeah, maybe when I'm healed I can help ya.. If I'm still here that is yo." Reno hopes that Cloud doesn't kick him out as soon as he's healed, he doesn't know where he'll go.

"Why, are you thinking about setting out on your own? Or..." Vincent wonders what Reno could mean.

"No, I have no place ta go. But I didn't think Cloudy would let me stay yo." 'He really won't when he knows the weirdness that's goin' on between us.' He thinks to himself.

Vincent's voice becomes heavy. "I hope you're able to stay. The children seem to like you being here." He arms himself before leaving for the upper floor.

"So am I yo, I'm actually good with kids, Rude says it's cause I act like one." Reno says with a laugh. 'He wants me ta stay yo? That..makes me feel warm, why?' He thinks to himself as he closes his eyes.

Vincent takes a small meal of stale potato chips, peanuts, and a boxed juice up to the roof for the night. He affixes Death Penalty to a stand placed on the roof meant for target shooting and rests Cerberus at his side. Vincent watches below as Cloud, Barret, and Rude reinforce the fence. The sun wastes no time in setting. Red joins Vincent on the roof. The men below work diligently through the darkness.


End file.
